Repercussions
by Mikefury101
Summary: Astrid didn't really hate Hiccup, she didn't mean all the thing's she said in front of the entire village. "HE'S WEAK, SPINELESS AND USELESS!" She least of all expected Hiccup to hear everything. Heartbroken, Hiccup leaves Berk and finds love where he least expects it. A childhood friendship that blossoms into something much more. Rated M for eventual sex and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Lies

The night sky stood an inky canopy of darkness, a few stars scattered across it. The moon was not out this night which rendered the sky almost pitch black, the perfect camouflage for the rider atop his Night Fury patrolling the Isle of Berk. Since the peace between Vikings and dragons almost two years ago, the residents of Berk had finally been able to relax at night without the fear of dragon attacks. The village chief - Stoick the Vast however had warned the village not to become complacent and let their guard down. There were other threats out there like The Outcasts and Dagur the Deranged, he had ordered that the island be regularly patrolled from atop dragons now that half of the village were riding them.

Stoicks son and heir, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third had been the sole reason for the peace with the dragons. It was he who had befriended the Night Fury in the woods, defeated the infamous Red Death and founded the dragon training academy where Vikings and dragons were taught that they could co-exist. He was finally shown the respect he deserved after being scolded and beaten down the first fifteen years of his life, all for being a _'Hiccup'_ , a small, clumsy walking disaster that caused nothing but pain and destruction in the eyes of the village.

But here he was now, sitting atop his Night Fury he had named Toothless after discovering he had retractable teeth. The so called 'Unholy offspring of lightning and death itself', admiring the soft glow from the torches that illuminated the tribe he would one day lead. His farther was proud of him and he was respected by his friends and the rest of the village. He was no longer known as _'Hiccup the Useless'_ , he had made it clear that he would no longer tolerate the nickname when Snotlout had muttered it under his breath last year and lost two teeth as a result. What he appreciated most however was that his closest human friend was none other than Astrid Hofferson, the most beautiful shield maiden in all of Berk.

Hiccup sighed happily at just the thought of her. Her long golden hair tied into a single braid that hung over her left shoulder. Her sky blue eyes that radiated kindness but could also harden to a point where even the fiercest Viking would cower and tremble in fear. Her pale skin that...

"Ouch!" Something hard hit the back of his head. "What the..." He snapped his head around and was confronted by the twins riding Barf and Belch. "Ruff! Tuff! What have I told you about sneaking up on me!"

"Not our fault H! We called you like...three times!" Tuffnut defended. "He was dreaming about Astrid again" Ruffnut interrupted shooting a wink at Hiccup.

Hiccup's eyes widened slightly "N-N-No I wasn't!" He shook his head, feeling the slight blush coming to his cheeks. "I was...just enjoying the view" his cheeks reddened when he remembered just what 'view' he was thinking about. 'Damn it' he cursed himself inwardly, especially considering the fact that Ruffnut is Astrid's best friend and would likely tell her all about this later.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes knowingly. "Anyway we came to take over patrol..." She looked thoughtful for a second. "Oh and your dads looking for you, said he wants you back at the house in an hour. It sounded important"

"It always is" Hiccup groaned sarcastically. "Okay, I'll be there in an hour. I have some things to take care of first"

"With Astrid?" Ruffnut asked raising a brow, lips creeping up into a sly grin.

Hiccup was blushing again 'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' "Yes with A-Astrid" he attempted to say in an even tone but failed. His face was beet red now. 'Fuck' "Academy business" he lied before guiding Toothless around and shooting off into the night.

The twins watched them disappear with amused smiles on their faces. "I think there may be love on the battlefield after all" Ruffnut turned to her twin, a mischievous look in her eyes. "I concur sister" Tuffnut chuckled before they headed off on patrol, or blow something up.

Hiccup was deep in thought throughout the flight back to the village. "Is it that obvious bud...that I want to be more than just friends with Astrid?" Toothless warbled a laugh as if to say 'You're joking right?' "Yeah thanks for nothing" He trailed off, deep in thought again. ' _ **How would I tell her? How would she react? Would she kill me? Would she feel the same way? What if I ruined the friendship we have? What if...'**_ his trail of thoughts were broken by a low growl from Toothless. "What is it bud?" Toothless gestured to the village square. A large crowd had formed in the centre around three figures he couldn't identify. "Come on Toothless, lets see what's going on"

They landed at the docks, Hiccup quickly unclipped his metal leg from the saddle and dismounted. He sprinted towards the main square with Toothless hot on his heels. As he approached the square and rounded the final corner he crashed into a large object and fell to the ground with an "Ooft!" When he looked up dazed, he realised it wasn't an object he'd crashed into, but a Viking.

"Hiccup!" A familiar voice gasped nervously.

"Fishlegs?" He wheezed, winded by the sudden impact. "Fishlegs what's going on?"

Fishlegs' face noticeably paled. He swallowed and whispered. "It's Astrid..."

"What about Astrid, is she alright?!" Hiccup stood and strode towards the crowd. Fishlegs grabbed both his shoulders and pulled him back. "What're you doing Leg's!? I need to see if she's okay!" They were too far away from the crowd to be noticed.

"Hiccup, I don't know what's going on but -"

"Yeah me neither!" Hiccup froze and turned to the source of the voice. Snotlout was sat on a barrel resting against a house. His eye badly bruised and he held a block of ice to his groin.

"What happened to you!? you try flirting with her again?" Hiccup resisted smirking at his cousin. Snotlout may have bullied him the most when he was younger but since Hiccup punched him last year, Snotlout seemed to show him more respect and actually act like a cousin.

"Pfft... You wish! I gave up on that after the last time..." His eyes widened, sheer terror in his eyes as he recalled that memory. 'Snotlout was on his back, jaw throbbing in pain. He looked up to see her looming over him, eyes wild with fury. She was gripping the collar of his fur vest with one hand, her other held her axe between his legs. "If you ever touch me like that again!" she looked down to where her axe was situated. "I'll chop your balls off and shove them down your throat" She smiled wickedly and whispered into his ear "That's a promise..."' Snotlout shuddered when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Its okay 'Lout" Hiccup smiled at him reassuringly. "I'll try to find out what's going on and diffuse this okay?"

"O-Okay..." Snotlout sighed. "But you might need backup so I'll go with you 'future' Chief" he winked. Hiccup smiled.

"Me too! Logically speaking we have more of a chance of calming her down if she see's more friendly faces...right?" Fishlegs shifted nervously all of a sudden.

"It'll be alright Fishlegs" Hiccup soothed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find out what's going on and get through it like we always do...as a team" He gestured toward the crowd where Astrid was at the centre. "You okay? You're shaking 'Legs"

"I'm okay..."

Snotlout rolled his eyes at Fishlegs' cowardice. "Me too, lets do this cuz" even his voice wavered slightly.

"Thanks guys" Hiccup smiled genuinely at them both.

Hiccup, Snotlout and Fishlegs walked towards the crowd in silence.

Toothless crept between the two other riders until he was at Hiccups side. He could sense the nervousness radiating from his best friend and nudged his hand with his nose. "I'm okay bud" he smiled at his dragon. "It'll be al-"

"...HICCUP!"

Hiccups head snapped forward hearing Astrid scream his name. Snotlout and Fishlegs froze watching Hiccup closely, his eyes narrowed, searching for her amongst the sea of faces that was his tribe. His hand lowered to his belt and he un-clipped 'Inferno' "She needs our help, she nee-"

"I WILL _NEVER_ MARRY HICCUP!"

"Astrid, dear"

He couldn't clearly make out the woman's voice over the crowd but Hiccup was sure it was Ingrid, Astrid's mother.

"NEVER, MOM. NOT EVEN IF HE IS THE SON OF THE CHIEF, NOT IF HE WAS THE LAST VIKING ALIVE"

Hiccup froze again, Snotlout winced at the way Hiccups shoulders dropped. Fishlegs raised both of his hands to his mouth, trying to suppress his surprised gasp. Hiccup didn't want to move closer but he had to know, he had to hear what Astrid had to say.

Both of his friends tried to hold him back but he shrugged them off. They watched Hiccup approach, he was just about to push his way through the crowd when suddenly he froze again.

"I HATE HIM!"

"YOU DON'T HATE HIM ASTRID!"

Hiccup recognised that voice instantly, it was Egil Hofferson, Astrid's father.

"I HATE HIM DAD, I HATE HIM"

Both Snotlout and Fishlegs cringed. They knew Astrid didn't hate Hiccup. They were best friends and obviously had deeper feelings for each other. Fishlegs tried to pull Hiccup away, save him from this torture. But Hiccup didn't even sway when Fishlegs grabbed his shoulder. Hiccup rounded on Fishlegs in an instant, his eyes sad and tears brimming. "I..I n-need to hear this" Fishlegs let go and just nodded.

"I'm sorry Hiccup" he backed away shaking his head and then looked to Snotlout. "This is wrong..."

Snotlout just nodded in agreement and looked down. They both backed away when they heard Astrid cry.

"HE'S WEAK!"

Their eyes shot to Hiccup again, his posture dropped to the lowest they'd ever seen. Shoulders hunched, head low, eyes staring at the ground in front of him.

"WHY WOULD I WANT TO MARRY SOMEONE LIKE HICCUP!"

Hiccup heard Ingrid's voice then. "We thought you liked him dear. You're always smiling when you're around him, holding hands when you walk together, you kissed him in front of the whole vill-"

"HE'S SPINELESS...CLUMSY AND USELESS! WHY WOULD I MARRY HICCUP THE USELESS!"

The crowd shared a collected gasp and an erie silence crept over the main square. Nobody, especially Astrid's parents could believed what she had just said. Toothless noticed his best friends depressed state and grumbled sympathetically, earning the crowds and Astrid's attention.

She turned to face the direction of that familiar sound, unable to see the source through the mass of villagers all looking in that same direction. 'I know that dragon' she thought to herself. Her eyes shot wider than ever when the realisation hit her. 'Toothless? Then that means...oh no' "Hiccup?!" She called pushing her way through the crowd. "Hiccup I didn't mean any of it! I can explain!" She pushed through to the front and saw him standing motionless before her, Toothless at his side crooning softly in an attempt to comfort him. Fishlegs and Snotlout behind him to his right, staring at her with disappointed expressions. She looked back to Hiccup, he was stood stiff, fists clenched and eyes pinned to the floor refusing to look at her. Tears welled in her eyes as she finally spoke. "Hiccup I -"

Hiccup raised his hand, cutting her off and immediately silencing her.

Everyone gasped, never had Hiccup made such an authoritative gesture. Silence once again fell on the square, all eyes watching apprehensively for his next action.

"You hate me." He finally spoke, his voice low and emotionless. It was more a statement than a question.

"No, of course not I -"

"Stop!" He cut her off again, voice raising slightly. "You think I'm useless...still ' _Hiccup the Useless'_ " he spat his old nickname.

Astrid couldn't say anything, she'd never seen Hiccup this upset and it broke her heart. A single tear ran down her cheek. She looked down to her feet, ashamed at what she'd done, at the lies she shouted just to get out of a marriage contract. She didn't actually mind the idea of one day marrying Hiccup, it was the whole concept of marriage in general that she hated. It meant she could no longer be a shield maiden and would have to become a housewife. She hated the idea of that.

"This is over" Hiccup said in a hushed voice.

Her head snapped up "What?! What's over?"

"This" he gestured between the two of them. "Whatever 'this' is, its over. I'm done" he firmly stated then turned to mount Toothless.

Astrid stood motionless as she digested Hiccups words 'This is over...I'm done' then the gravity of her mistake hit her. "Wait! Hiccup please, please don't do this! Please let me explain!" she reached for his shoulder in an attempt to get him to face her and immediately regretted it.

He rounded on her with an expression so furious she actually jumped back. His usually kind green eyes were blazing with hurt and fury, tears rimming the edges. His jaw was set and mouth curled into an angry snarl. He looked like Stoick, for the first time in her life she was afraid of Hiccup.

"Explain what exactly?" His voice was low but carried his anger. "I heard all I needed to hear Astrid. I thought things were good between us, Hel, I was actually building up the courage to tell you that I wanted to be more than just friends with you on my way here!" He sighed taking a step back, increasing the distance between them. Face softening to a defeated look. Then hardening again slightly. "I guess I must truly be useless for believing that could ever happen!"

Astrid didn't respond, she couldn't. Nothing she could say would make a difference, would repair the hurt she caused him. She'd made him feel useless again. She couldn't look him in the eye so she kept her head bowed.

"Hiccup?" Fishlegs approached slowly but he ignored him. "You're not use -"

Hiccups scowl returned and he glared at his friend. Fishlegs shrieked and stumbled back. His gaze returned to Astrid. "Like I said... this" he gestured between them again. "Is over, and you needn't worry about any punishments from my dad because of this, I care..." He shook his head. "Cared about you too much"

She raised her head to look him in the eye, tears streaming down her face. She searched his eyes for something, anything that meant this could be fixed. But she found nothing, his eyes were cold and determined. He turned and mounted Toothless.

"Snotlout!" he barked.

"Uh...yeah Hiccup?" Snotlout asked warily.  
"Tell my dad I'll be a couple of hours late, I need time to think"

"Sure"

"Thanks" Hiccup cast one last look at Astrid. He let out a heavy sigh and looked down shaking his head again. "Lets go bud" With that they shot into the air as fast as they could, trying to get as far away from Berk as possible. He looked ahead through blurry eyes and noticed the twins returning from patrol.

"Hey Hiccup! How'd things go with Ast-" "SHUT UP!" was all they heard as he screamed past. Both twins looked back at his disappearing figure. "Jeez, who yacked in his mutton?" Tuff looked over to his sister when she failed to respond. "What's up sis?" She was studying the packed square below her. "I dunno bro but something doesn't feel right" She pointed to the crowd slowly dispersing below them. "DAMN, WE MISSED A FIGHT?!... OW!" He shot a his sister a glare. "TUFF! lets just get down there, something's wrong!" Tuffnut looked back to the square where now only five figures remained. "Fine" he snorted and with a light nudge of his feet they begun their decent toward the village.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ _Hi all, Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read Chapter 1 of this story. This is the first time I've written anything so to get over 200 views and mostly positive reviews so far is amazing! Second I'd like to clarify that this is NOT a Hiccstrid story._

 _Going forward I aim to post a new chapter every 3-4 days._

 _So here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy :)_

Chapter 2 - Aftermath

Astrid watched him disappear into the night "What have I done?" She whispered falling to her knees, arms wrapping around her stomach "Oh gods! Sweet Odin, what have I done!" She rocked back and forth, sobbing quietly.

The villagers dispersed silently until only the five remained. Ingrid went to approach her daughter when suddenly the twins landed.

"What'd I miss!" Tuffnut shouted excitedly, he jumped from Belch and approached Snotlout. Ruffnut joined them and immediately noticed his bruised eye but then caught the look of sadness on his face. She turned to Fishlegs and saw he carried the same expression. "What happened, did somebody die?"

"Why don't you ask her" Snotlout responded irritably, gesturing over his shoulder.

Ruffnut looked to where he was pointing and saw Astrid crying. "Astrid?!" She ran to her best friend and knelt beside her, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "Astrid what's wrong? What happened?"

"I've lost him Ruff" Astrid squeaked.

"Lost him?!...lost who?"

"Hiccup!...I've lost Hiccup!...He hates me!" Astrid burst into tears and hugged her best friend, burrowing her face into her shoulder. "He ended everything between us" she sobbed as her voice got quieter "He hates me"

Ruff was confused, she looked at the others and saw Tuff now looked sad. Snotlout must have told him what had happened. She then looked to Astrid's parents, Ingrid just shook her head. Egil however wore a different expression, he looked disappointed. 'Gods Astrid what did you do?'

"I'm off to tell the chief" Snotlout declared.

"I'll do that lad" Egil responded. "It'd probably be best if Stoick found out about this from me" Egil and Stoick were close friends, they had fought side-by-side in many battles and Egil was also a member of Berks high council. He knew that Hiccup promised to see to it that Astrid would receive no punishment for her outburst, but he also knew how ruthless Stoick could be when someone hurt his son in any way. He assumed it was Stoick wanting to make up for all the years he was a bad father to Hiccup, Hel, Vikings had been banished for less than this. He looked over to his wife and smiled slightly "I think it'd be best if you two head back to the house" then his smile fell.

"It'll be okay honey" Ingrid cupped his cheek and kissed him softly. She looked up at him and smiled reassuringly.

Egil sighed heavily and then left for the chiefs hut.

"We should head home too" Snotlout said to the others. Fishlegs nodded and left with Snotlout. Tuff looked back to his sister who silently mouthed 'Go on' so he left with the others.

By now Astrid had stopped crying and was curled into Ruffnut's hug. "Come on Astrid" Ruff lifted her to her feet. "Its time to take you home" she smiled gently but Astrid didn't return it. She looked empty, as if all emotion had left her. "Lets go" She guided her best friend out of the square following Ingrid.

The walk to the Hofferson home was silent. Ruffnut kept a firm hold on her Astrid, she felt if she let go she would just fall to the ground. She had to know what had happened, what could have been so bad as to make Hiccup cut all ties with Astrid? "Mrs Hofferson? What happened?"

"Its best we don't talk about it here Ruff, out in the open" she replied.

"Oh...okay" 'Gods this must be bad'

They arrived at the Hofferson home a short time later. Ingrid un-latched the door and led the two girls in. She gestured to the bench and Ruff guided Astrid towards it. "Would you like some tea Ruff?"

Ruff looked back to her and nodded. "Something tells me I'm gonna need it" she sighed as she continued leading Astrid to the bench and sat themselves down. Ruff pulled her into a hug again and rubbed her arm in an attempt to soothe her. She looked to Astrid then and gently asked. "Astrid, what happened?"

"Hiccup" she responded, voice barely a whisper. "Hiccup hates me"

"But why does he hate you?"

"I..." She took a hitched breath, trying to regain some composure "I screamed in front most of the village that I hated him"

Ruffnut jumped slightly, she couldn't believe Astrid would say something like that. She wanted to ask why but felt there was more to come and let her continue.

"I called him spineless, clumsy and...useless, Hiccup the Useless" she sobbed.

"Oh Astrid -"

"He heard everything! I only realised what I'd said after I heard Toothless!"

She was crying again, tears flowing freely. Ruff pulled her closer.

"I've never seen him so upset! He wouldn't even look at me! And then he said that whatever we had between us is over!" She raised a hand to wipe away some tears and sniffed "I tried to go after him, I tried tell him I didn't mean any of it but he looked so angry!" She looked to her hands as they trembled. "He said that he must truly be useless to have believed we could have been more than just friends"

Ruff pulled her in tighter, cradling her as she broke down again. "Oh Astrid. Why would you say those things about Hiccup?"

"I was scared...Stoick and my father had agreed a marriage contract between us"

"But isn't that a good thing? Marrying someone you actually care about instead of for status or wealth? Come on Astrid, I couldn't think of a better match for you than Hiccup. Your best friends for Thor's sake and its clear to anyone not blind that you care deeply about one and other"

Astrid perked up a bit, Ruff was right. "I really messed up didn't I?"

Ingrid watched silently from the doorway. Smiling slightly as her daughter slowly returned to her usual self. She was glad Astrid and Ruffnut were best friends, Ruffnut was the only person other than Hiccup who could get through to her when she was upset or in a blind rage. Her smile dropped slightly then. 'Maybe if Ruff was in the square earlier, she could have calmed Astrid down and things would have turned out differently'

"You did..." Ruff sighed. "Astrid you need to try and fix this, tell Hiccup how you really feel and maybe he'll understand"

"You're right Ruff" Astrid wiped her eyes and stood up. "I need to find him and explain everything" She began towards the door but both Ruffnut and Ingrid stopped her.

"Not now!" They cried in unison.

"But...why not? I need to see him!"

"Astrid...its too soon" Ruff started.

"She's right dear, he's still hurting. And you're father probably hasn't even spoken to Stoick yet" Ingrid continued.

"Your mom has a point Astrid, lets just wait to hear what your dad has to say when he gets back and we'll go from there okay?"

"Okay fine. We'll wait till dad gets back. But then I will make this right!" Astrid sat back down on the bench with a huff.

Ingrid and Ruffnut shared a sigh of relief and looked to each other. Ingrid nodded in thanks and Ruff smiled back taking a seat next to Astrid again.

"So about that tea" Ingrid presented three mugs and joined them. They attempted casual conversion but found it hard not to talk about Hiccup or anything related to him. His influence was everywhere. His inventions that made day-to-day life easier, the Dragon Academy, battle tactics that had turned the tide in Berks favour countless times, even the weapons they carried were likely forged by him. There was almost nothing to talk about that didn't somehow involve him.

The room fell silent as they anxiously awaited Egil's return.

-  
Egil trudged up the hill towards the chiefs hut. Many scenario's passing through his mind as to how this conversation would end. All he could hope for was that somehow Stoick would understand and spare his daughter, himself and his entire family for that matter. Her actions reflected badly on them all. Finally he'd reached the chiefs threshold, he silently prayed to Odin before he knocked.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

"Stoick?" He heard movement beyond the door. "Stoick its me"

"Egil?" Stoick opened the door beaming at his friend. " HA-HA-HA! HERE TO PLAN A CERTAIN WEDDING I PRESUME?!" He boomed jovially. His smile dropped slightly when Egil sighed and shook his head. "What is it, is there something wrong? Talk to me"

"Yeah about that" he looked his chief in the eye. "Stoick we need to talk, can I come in?"

"Of course, of course" Stoick responded now sounding concerned. He allowed Egil to enter. "What is it old friend?" He asked resting a hand on his Egil's shoulder.

"Stoick, you might want to sit down" he gestured to the table at the centre of the room.

The chief nodded, approached the table and took a seat. Egil sat opposite. There was a moments silence before Egil began recounting the events that took place earlier.

-  
"Odin's beard" Stoick sighed, leaning back in his chair. He ran a hand over his face and through his beard.

"She didn't mean any of it Stoick" Egil watched the chief closely, searching for anything that would indicate how he would react. He didn't look angry, just shocked.

"I know Egil, I know" Stoick shook his head. "We both knew the lass didn't much like the idea of marriage, but never would I have predicted she'd react that badly" He leaned forward resting his arms on the table and stared into his mug.

"What about the mission? Astrid was supposed to go with him"

"I don't know" Stoick shook his head again. "I need to talk to Hiccup -"

Suddenly they heard movement outside and looked to the door.

-  
Hiccup and Toothless landed in front of the hut. Hiccup dismounted and fetched a basket of fish for Toothless. "Eat up bud" He chuckled lightly as Toothless burrowed his head in the basket, gobbling several fish with each mouthful. His stern expression returned as he approached his house and entered.

"Son?"

"Hey dad -" His eyes met Egil's. "Mr Hofferson" he greeted formally.

"I'll...erm, I'll give you two some privacy" Egil started to rise from his chair.

"Actually sir I'm glad you're here" Hiccup looked to his father. "You both need to hear this"

"Oh...okay" Egil sat back down. 'This is not going to be good' He thought. Hiccup hadn't called him 'sir' in years. After Hiccup had saved his daughters life during the battle with The Red Death, he had insisted Hiccup address him by his first name. A cold feeling churned in the pit of his stomach.

"I take it you've heard?"

"Aye son, I'm-"

"Good" Hiccup finished. He approached the end of the table and rested his hands on it. He looked between Egil and his father before taking a breath. "I want you to dissolve the marriage contract between me and Astrid"

Egil cast his eyes to the table in front of him.

"Son -"

"Please dad let me finish...I can't marry her after today. I've spent the last two hours thinking about this and I've made up my mind. I can't forgive what she did, and I don't think I ever will, not completely anyway" He looked down for a moment before continuing "I'm willing to be civil with her for the village and Academy's sake, but nothing more" He looked to his father, eyes pleading. "Please dissolve the contract"

Stoick nodded in understanding. "Egil?"

He nodded in agreement before looking to Hiccup. "I'm so sorry lad...for everything" he went to rise again but Hiccup held his shoulder stopping him.

He felt a slight pang of guilt seeing how upset Egil was. "Egil look..." His voice soft and calm. "I'm not saying me and Astrid will never be friends again, maybe in the future I might be able to forgive her. And I don't want to lose the friendship I have with you and Ingrid" He held out a hand to Egil and he took it.

"Thank you lad" Egil shook his hand and smiled slightly.

Hiccup returned the smile before continuing. "There one more thing" Hiccup turned to his father. "Dad, I don't want any punishments falling on Astrid or her family over this"

Stoick smiled, silently admiring how Hiccup handled this situation. He was calm and diplomatic, skills that would one day make him a great chief. "As you wish son, no punishments will be handed down"

"Thanks dad. Now Egil if you don't mind, there are some things I wish to discuss with my father privately"

"Of course" Egil stood and shook both men's hands, before leaving he turned back to Hiccup "Hiccup? Astrid's most likely going to want to see you. What shall I tell her?"

"I don't want to see her right now, tell her to come see me at the forge tomorrow around noon and we'll talk then"

Egil nodded and turned to the door.

"But Egil?" Hiccup continued, tone monotonous again. "Don't let her get her hopes up"

Egil nodded and left the house. He stood silently on the hill for a moment, dreading how his daughter would react to Hiccups news. 'This is going to destroy her' he thought as he started the walk home.

-  
Hiccup returned to the table and sat opposite his father. "Dad, I hope you're not disappointed about me cancelling the contract"

"Of course I'm not son, but your well aware of how important it is for you to marry. In a few years you'll be chief and will need an heir of your own" Stoick explained before taking a drink from his mug.

"I'm well aware dad, thanks for reminding me...again" Hiccup replied sarcastically. "I've been thinking about that as well"

Stoick spluttered. "You have?!"

"I have, just hear me out okay?" he relaxed into his chair and continued. "After what happened tonight I realised that there's no one left on Berk I'd happily marry. I know its sounds un-Viking but I'd prefer to marry for love, not just politics or having children" he studied his father who looked thoughtful.

"Aye son, I understand. Me and your mother were in love way before we were married. Our parents saw it and contracted us as soon as we came of age. Before others could start offering for Val. Me and Egil tried to do the same for you and Astrid" He instantly regretted saying that last part as he saw Hiccups expression fall.

Hiccup was silent for a second before he perked up again. "I know dad, and then I realised the only other girl in my age group is Ruffnut!" He shuddered. "Don't get me wrong, she's a great friend but...you know what I mean"

"Aye, that I do" Stoick chuckled.

"Anyway, I then realised the only other option is to marry between tribes. Not only could I try to find someone I'd be willing to marry, but Berk would benefit from the alliance as well"

"But son you live here on Berk, how would you be able to find someone you'd be willing to marry?" Stoick questioned.

Hiccup took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm leaving Berk dad"

"YOU'RE WHAT?!"

"Dad just hear me out. We've been at peace with dragons for two years now and things have never been better right?"

"Aye" Stoick took a deep breath to calm himself. "But what does that have to do with the other tribes?"

"Let me visit them and teach them about dragons, teach them how to train and live with dragons like we do. Give me a couple of years, hopefully I'll meet someone I'd willingly marry along the way. If not, you can arrange a marriage that would benefit Berk the most when I get back"

Stoick thought for a moment. All in all it was a good idea, spreading dragon awareness and at the same time Hiccup has a chance to meet a girl he'd happily marry and spend the rest of his life with. Stoick owed Hiccup that at least, the chance of a happy life since most of it so far had been Hel and that was partly down to him. And after today he couldn't blame his son for wanting to get away for a while. What bothered him though was that Hiccup would be gone for two years, that's a long time for a father not to see his son. He looked to Hiccup and saw the hope in his eyes and sighed. "Alright son, I'll bring this up in the council meeting tomorrow"

"You will?! Wow...thanks d-""

"But!" Stoick cut in. "I have a few conditions"

"Okay"

"First, I want you to keep in touch, shouldn't be too difficult with that Terror Mail you've been working on. Second, I want you to come back to Berk every six months and update myself and the council on your progress" he declared counting off his fingers.

"No problem dad" Hiccup smiled. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes Hiccup" Stoick rested a hand on Hiccups shoulder. "Find the one who makes you happy, whoever she is...you'll have my blessing son"

"Thanks dad" Hiccups smile was genuine for the first time in hours. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Hmm?" Stoick looked confused.

"The twins told me you wanted to talk to me? Something important?"

"Oh that!" He'd completely forgotten. "That can wait until after the council meeting tomorrow. If they agree to your idea then you'll know which tribe you'll be visiting first..." Stoick trailed off suddenly and then looked quizzical.

"Uhhh dad? Are you okay?"

He coughed as he snapped out of it "I-I'm fine Hiccup" there was a pause. "Son, you must be tired, its way past midnight and you've had a trying day. Why don't you try and get some sleep huh?"

"Okay dad, thanks...thanks for everything"

"Any time son" Stoick smiled.

Hiccup stood and approached Toothless who had fallen asleep at the foot of the stairs. The dragon stirred as he sensed his best friend approach. "Come on bud..." Toothless lazily opened his large forest green eyes and purred happily as Hiccup scratched behind his ears. "...Time for bed" Hiccup gestured towards his loft. Toothless rose and stretched like a giant cat before lumbering sleepily up the stairs. Hiccup followed him, getting about half way before Stoick spoke again.

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup sighed wearily. "Yeah dad?"

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through today son"

"Don't be sorry dad" Hiccup's expression turned cold and he shrugged. "I'm not" With that he entered his room and closed the door quietly behind him.

Stoick turned and gazed into the dying embers of the hearth. He was worried, he'd never seen Hiccup like this. For a moment his anger boiled within him, Astrid had hurt his son so much. Hiccup had made him vow that no punishment would befall her but for a short moment Stoick wanted nothing more than to banish her for what she'd done. Those thoughts were pushed aside suddenly when he realised Hiccup's indifference towards her would be punishment enough, maybe even too much. He sighed heavily and glanced up to Hiccups room before looking back to the hearth. "Astrid what have you done..."

-  
Egil approached his house slowly, not knowing how explain to his daughter that Hiccup practically wanted nothing more to do with her. Before he knew it he was at his threshold. 'Here we go' he thought as he pushed the door open. He was met with three pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly, he closed the door and sighed before approaching them.

"How'd he take it dear?" Ingrid asked softly.

"Stoick?...he took it surprisingly well..." He glanced to his daughter. "Hiccup on the other hand-"

"He's back?!" Astrid shot up from the bench. "I need to see him! I need to explain-"

"Astrid!" Egil rushed to her, placing both his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her. "Astrid...Hiccup doesn't want to see you right now"

"W-What?" She stammered slumping back onto the bench. Egil held her softly hands in his.

"Hiccup doesn't want to see you right now Astrid, he..." 'Odin above how do explain this' he thought before continuing. "He had me and Stoick dissolve the contract"

"Really?" Astrid squeaked, tears resurfacing. Ruff wrapped an arm around her again while Egil nodded solemnly.

"Yes dear, he..." Egil faltered for a second. "He meant what he said in the square Astrid"

Astrid recoiled slightly, reciting Hiccups words in her mind. 'This...whatever 'this' is. Is over' "Gods!" She gasped "He really does hate me"

"He doesn't 'hate' you dear" Egil stated.

Astrid perked up slightly.

"He's willing to be civil for now, he wants you to see him at the forge tomorrow around noon...to talk"

Astrid turned to Ruff. "Will you-"

"Of course I'll come with you, what're friends for right?" Ruffnut reassured.

"Thanks Ruff" She said genuinely and then turned to her father. "I'll fix this, I swear it"

"Astrid..." Egil sighed. "It won't be easy, Hiccups really hurt. It'll take more than a simple apology to fix this"

"I know dad...but I have to try"

Egil nodded and got to his feet. "I think it's time you got some sleep dear...it's been a long day"

Astrid nodded and and then turned to hug Ruffnut. "Thank you" she whispered.

"Any time sister" she chuckled before braking from the hug. "See you tomorrow"

Egil and Ingrid saw Ruffnut out and thanked her for her help. They then bid their daughter goodnight. Once Astrid had retired Ingrid turned to her husband, she knew he was hiding something. "Egil?" She whispered wrapping her arms around his waist. "What aren't you telling us?"

"You didn't see him Ingrid..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think he'll ever forgive her"  
ereso


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay with this chapter but I didn't want to publish until I was happy with it. I realised 3-4 days between chapters was a little optimistic so going forward I'll post once a week (Sunday). I'll also make a point to respond to each of your reviews._

Chapter 3 - Council

The following morning Hiccup stirred in his sleep as the first rays of sunlight crest the horizon, painting the sky subtly in orange and pink hues. His eyes opened sleepily as the soft light entered his room. Usually he wouldn't be up for another couple of hours and even though we was exhausted, he decided it'd be best to make an early start. He had to be at the forge early to the ignite the furnaces, ready for the busy day that lay ahead. He figured that keeping himself busy would help keep his mind off of everything that had happened.

He sat up, grabbed his prosthetic from the bedside table and strapped it on before turning his attention to Toothless.

"Rough night for you too, huh bud?" He yawned while stretching, joints cracking as he did.

Toothless watched him expectantly, tail wagging happily like a dog's at the prospect of an early morning flight.  
Hiccup rolled his eyes playfully and approached his best friend. "Didn't think so...you useless reptile" he chuckled.

Toothless nudged him with his nose, knocking Hiccup on to his back before licking his face eagerly. "Ew! Ew! Ew!...Alright Toothless!..." Hiccup protested, trying to stay as quiet as possible as to not to wake his father. He managed to push his dragon away briefly. "...we'll go on a quick flight okay!" Toothless let him up and proceeded to bound around the room in excitement, causing the whole house to shake. "Toothless! Toothless stop!" Hiccup pleaded, shaking both hands at his dragon. Toothless settled for a moment and Hiccup listened intently. 'The last time dad was woken this early, it was like Ragnarok had arrived!' He thought.

After a few moments of silence broken only by his fathers distant snoring, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Bud, you head out the back...'quietly'" he emphasized while pointing to the large door built into his roof. "...I'll meet you out front in a minute." Toothless grinned his gummy smile and leapt out of the window.

Hiccup smiled genuinely as he watched his best friend leave. Toothless was the only one who could really make him feel happy when everything else seemed to fall apart, it'd been that way since the day they'd met. He sighed happily before quickly washing and putting on his flight suit. He grabbed some bread, fruit, and dried Yak meat as he left and then saddled up Toothless who was already waiting for him.

"Okay bud, you ready?" Toothless huffed impatiently and Hiccup laughed. He clicked his metal leg into place and no sooner than the tail flap opened...they were hurtling up through the air at blinding speed. "WooooHoooooo!"

Astrid lay awake in her bed, staring up at the rafters of her room as the sun rose. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, her mind had been a churning maelstrom of anxiousness, hurt and worry.

She'd rehearsed what she would say to Hiccup over and over in her head, each time mentally chastising herself for how lame the excuses were. After about an hour she realised that no excuse, no matter how believable would work. For her to have any chance of fixing things with Hiccup she would have to tell him the truth...the truth about her fear of marriage. Even though it was completely against her nature to admit she was afraid of anything... she would openly admit she was scared of losing Hiccup. She also knew that Hiccup would probably be able to tell she was lying, they had become so close over the past two years they could read each other like an open book and more lies would only make things worse.

She grunted in frustration as she rolled over, burrowing her head in her pillow. Her head shot back up and to her window as she heard the sound of Hiccups familiar whooping. In a heartbeat she was at the window and pushed open the shutters just in time to catch a glimpse of him and Toothless leaving the village. Her mind raced for a moment, suddenly overcome with the urge to saddle up Stormfly and follow him. But the urge left as quickly as it arrived, her fathers words echoing in her mind. 'Hiccup doesn't want to see you right now...see him at the forge tomorrow around noon'. She stared longingly after him for a moment before climbing back into bed, she closed her eyes hoping she could at least get a couple of hours sleep and that things would go well with Hiccup later.

Hiccup landed Toothless outside his house around an hour later, grinning from ear to ear as the adrenaline coursed through his veins.

Their flight may have been short, but they were still able to perform all manner of deadly ariel maneuvers. From flips, barrel rolls and free-falling whilst separated...to navigating narrow cave systems and weaving through tightly knit sea stacks. "YES!" he cried ecstatically thrusting both arms up into the air before dismounting. "Good job Toothless!" Hiccup hauled over an extra large basket of fish. "Eat up bud...you've earned it" Just then he heard the door to his house creak open and he turned to see his father.

"Morning son, where are you off too?"

"Hey dad, I was just gonna head to the forge, figured I'd keep myself busy"

Stoick nodded in understanding. "Aye, that'd probably best. In that case tell Gobber to be at the Great Hall in half an hour, I'm going to gather the rest of the council. I'll come see you at the forge later and let you know if they agree to your plan"

"Sure thing dad...and thanks again for doing this" Hiccup smiled before heading to the forge with Toothless in tow.

Stoick watched Hiccup leave, almost bursting with pride. A lesser man would have hidden away, afraid of facing his village after all of the embarrassment he'd suffered. But not Hiccup, he would face them all and act as if nothing had happened, he had all the makings of a great chief. He smiled happily before he left to gather the others.

Astrid sat at her dining table with her parents, staring at her breakfast. She was so nervous about seeing Hiccup she couldn't eat. The table was silent until Ingrid noticed her daughters unusual lack of interest in her meal.

"Astrid honey you need to eat something, you need your strength"

"I'm not hungry mom" she replied flatly.

"Listen to your mother Astrid" Egil cut in, slightly irritated at his daughters tone. "Today will be difficult and you'll need all the energy you can get"

"Please dad..." she began, voice rising as she did. "...I said I'm not-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

All three looked to the door baffled, it was too early for visitors.

"Who would come calling at this hour?" Ingrid questioned.

"I'm not sure, I'll see who it is" Egil replied approaching the door. He opened it and was surprised when he was confronted with Stoick.

"Greetings Stoick"

"Greetings Egil" The chief raised a hand and Egil took it. As they shook hands Stoick caught a glimpse of Astrid over Egil's shoulder and shot her an intense glare.

Astrid flinched and looked away, she'd never felt so vulnerable in her life. She looked to her mother who also seemed worried. Ingrid took Astrid's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"What can I do for you chief?" Egil asked, also sounding a little concerned.

Stoick smiled inwardly, secretly happy his glare had produced the desired response from Astrid. He focused his attention back to Egil before continuing. "I need you at the Great Hall as soon as possible, I'm calling an emergency council meeting"

"Of course, I'll be there in no time" Egil answered, stepping outside a little for some privacy. "What's this about?"

"It's Hiccup, he has an idea and its big..."

That cold feeling returned to Egil's stomach. 'After everything that happened yesterday, Hiccup suddenly has an idea that's so big it needs council approval? This cannot be good' he thought.

"...so big it will affect the future of Berk. That's all I can say for now, you'll learn all about it at the meeting" Stoick finished.

They shook hands again and Stoick left. Egil rushed back inside grabbing his boots and bearskin vest.

Astrid and Ingrid watched in confusion as he rushed to get ready. "What's wrong dear?! Is everything okay?!" Ingrid asked frantically.

"Dad?! What's going on...talk to us!" Astrid pleaded.

"Its Hiccup..."

"HICCUP?!" Both women cried in unison.

"He has a plan...an idea, one that'll decide Berks' future..." He panted.

Both women watched him apprehensively.

"...Stoick wouldn't tell me more...he's gathering the council to discuss it" He gave both women a quick kiss on the cheek before running out the door and towards the Great Hall.

Ingrid and Astrid stood speechless. They'd never seen Egil so panicked. They settled back at the table in silence, neither could comprehend what had just happened.

Hiccup and Toothless walked through the village towards the forge just like they did almost every other morning. Usually it was a pleasant journey where Hiccup would happily greet and chat with the few villagers that were up and about this time of day, this morning though...things were very different. The villagers gave him a wide berth, none of them greeting or even acknowledging the pair as they passed. It wasn't intentional they either didn't know what to say or were afraid of how Hiccup would react.

'Just like old times' Hiccup thought bitterly. It reminded him of when the village ignored him for being 'Hiccup the Useless'. He took a deep breath and pressed forward, trying to ignore the villagers stares.

Eventually he entered the main square and noticed the forge was already open "That's strange" he said to himself. Hiccup was always the one to open up, Gobber only ever arrived this early when there was a mountain of work that had to be done. "Come on bud" he groaned and they both approached the forge. Hiccup entered and greeted his mentor. "Morning Gobber"

"Hiccup?" Gobber turned and looked puzzled. "What're you doing here?"

"Erm...I work here remember? Why else would I be here?" He replied, grabbing an apron and pair of gloves.

"I know that lad! I just thought that maybe...you know, you'd have taken the day off-"

"You too!" Hiccup interrupted staring at Gobber with a shocked expression "I mean I wasn't that surprised the villagers acted like I was invisible, but you don't want me around either!?"

"I didn't mean it like that Hiccup! I'd never think that way about you, you know that." Gobber defended with his good arm extended, trying to calm Hiccup down. "You're like the son I never had Hiccup, I'd never not want you around. And don't pay attention to those knuckleheads, they're too dimwitted to tell one end of a Yak from the other" He noticed Hiccup relax and pulled him into a hug that Hiccup instantly returned. He pulled away and looked his apprentice in the eye. "I just thought that after everything that happened last night you'd want to take the day off, to relax and have some time to yourself"

Hiccup smiled slightly. "Thanks Gobber but I'm fine, I could really do with the distraction"

"As you wish, there's some swords over there that need sharpenin' and when you're done with those Snotlout's saddle needs fixing again. That dragon of his keeps setting itself aflame for no apparent reason!"

"I got it Gobber..." Hiccup chuckled as he pictured Snotlout diving into a water trough again. "...and while I'm here I'll have a look at that broken wagon wheel Mildew bought in yesterday, the old grouch will want it repaired as soon as possible"

"Good lad" Gobber responded proudly. "Now lets get started!"

"Gobber!...before you start. Dad wants you at the Great Hall as soon as you can, he's calling an emergency council meeting and gathering the others now"

Gobber looked thoughtful for a moment. "Now? At this time?" He looked out of the forge, the suns rays barely grazed the rooftops. "Must be important then if he's calling a meeting this early. Alright I'll head straight there, your in charge while I'm gone Hiccup" He quickly untied and hung his apron before hobbling off. He headed straight for the Great Hall, staring daggers at any villagers he passed along the way for the way they had treated Hiccup.

Hiccup watched his mentor disappear around a corner with a content smile. He was so grateful to have Gobber in his life. When he was younger and Stoick resented him as a son, Gobber stepped in and became the fatherly figure he needed. Leaving him was one of the very few things Hiccup regretted about his plan. He took a deep breath and picked up one of the swords that needed sharpening and got to work.

Stoick stood at the Great Halls main hearth, the golden dragon impaled by a sword above it gleamed brightly from the flames as the final council members arrived.

Being on the high council was considered a great honour, only the bravest or highly respected Vikings were were considered worthy to be a member. It consisted of Spitelout Jorgenson, Stoicks brother and second in command, Gobber, Egil, Bucket, Mulch and Silent Sven, who was not so silent any more.

Stoick gestured for everyone to be seated. The council was now in session.

"What's this about Stoick? What's so important that you had to call council this early in the day?" Gobber was the first to ask.

"Aye! me buckets pinchin' sommat rotten, I can 'ardly think straight" Bucket complained. "Might be a storm comin'!"

"We can discuss that later Bucket, right now we have more important things to discuss" The council fell silent and they all looked to Stoick, he cast a quick glance to Egil who looked visibly worried before continuing. "Hiccup has come to me with an idea, one that could not only alter the future of Berk...but the entire archipelago should we agree to it" He then went on to present Hiccups plan.

When Stoick had finished explaining, the council members looked to each other dumbfounded.

"Come on lads you can speak your mind we're a council after all" Stoick pressed.

Spitelout was the first to respond. "I don't like it Stoick, two years is a long time...and what about his training to become chief?"

"What if something happens to the lad, what if he ends up getting himself killed?" Sven continued.

"I think Hiccups proven that he can look after himself Sven. He defeated the Red Death almost single handedly"

"He lost a leg Gobber! What if next time he loses his head?! I'll admit the boys smart and has a way with dragons but he's also reckless, always diving into dangerous situations without thinking things through" Sven countered.

Gobber rose from his seat angrily. "That 'recklessness' saved your life Sven!...Not only yours but the lives of the entire village! Do you think he had 'time' to think when us 'Big, Strong Vikings' decided to sail out to Helhiems Gate!?" He looked to Stoick and his anger dissipated. "He tried to warn us...he knew what we would face and that none of us would survive. After everything we put him through he still saved us..." Gobber collapsed back into his seat. "...that boy has done more for this village in two years than any chief could manage the last three centuries...my vote is we let him go, let him do what he's good at and hope he finds happiness along the way"

"I'm grateful for all he's done Gobber..." Sven conceded. "...I really am, but all of that was achieved on the back of a dragon. What if him and Toothless got separated? No offence Stoick but Hiccups not the best fighter...far from it in fact. He needs protection. I know what happened yesterday will make things difficult but I still think Astrid should go with him" He turned to Egil. "Who knows...maybe they'll be able to work things out?"

"I seriously doubt that Sven..." Egil sighed. "...you weren't there when he cancelled the marriage contract, you didn't see the determination in his eyes. As much as I hate to admit it, I think too much damage has been done"

"Especially after what happened earlier..."

All eyes turned to Gobber.

"What happened earlier Gobber!?" Stoick demanded.

"He was in a bad way when he arrived at the forge this morning...said that the villagers acted as if he didn't exist. He even thought 'I' wanted nothing to do with him when I opened up early and told him I thought he'd take the day off!" Gobber stared into the flames of the hearth. "He needs this Stoick..."

The rest of the council considered Gobber's words, they could see his point but the issue regarding Hiccups protection remained.

"...why not bring him to council?" Gobber continued. "We can brief the mission to him and see what he has to say...you all know what he's like, he'll come up with something...he always does"

"Aye...have someone send for him" Spitelout agreed.

Stoick approached the giant doors to the Great Hall and pushed them open. He immediately spotted Fishlegs and called out to him.

"FISHLEGS!"

"AHH!" He squealed as his chief approached. "Y-y-yes...sir?"

Stoick rolled his eyes at the cowering boy. "Fishlegs, I need you to go to the forge and fetch Hiccup. He needs to appear before the council"

"The council?!"

"Yes Fishlegs...the council" Stoick sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can you do that?"

"O-Of course chief! I'll bring him straight here!" He replied before running off as fast as his short legs could carry him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The mission

Snotlout and the twins walked towards the forge, they guessed that Hiccup would be there this time of day and wanted to see if he was okay. Ruffnut had explained to the others what Egil had said last night and how upset Astrid was. At first Snotlout and Tuffnut didn't really care how Astrid was feeling, but when they heard that Hiccup had cancelled the contract, and that he pretty much wanted nothing more to do with her they felt bad for her. They agreed they would support her as much as they could, she was still their friend after all and deep down they knew she didn't mean what she said. As they got closer they could hear the sound of a hammer hitting metal, but it wasn't the familiar rhythmic hammering they were used to, the strikes were erratic and louder than usual. Snotlout spotted Toothless then, he was peering worriedly into the forge.

"Erm...something tells me Hiccups 'NOT' in a good mood" Snotlout said to the others while pointing to Toothless.

"Well can you blame the guy?..." Tuffnut shrugged. "...if it was me I'd be pretty upset too!"

"Come on you guys, we need to let him know we're here for him" Ruffnut continued, pushing the two boys forward.

They reached the counter and looked inside, Hiccup had his back to them and was muttering to himself as worked. The three looked to each other with pained expressions before looking back to him.

"Hey Cuz? You okay?" Snotlout asked warily.

Hiccup jumped slightly, he'd been so engrossed in his work he hadn't noticed them arrive. He turned to see the trio at the counter. "Oh...hey guys! Were you standing there long?"

All three inwardly sighed with relief. He didn't look angry, he seemed surprisingly calm considering the circumstances.

"Nah! We just got here, we came to see how you were" Ruffnut replied.

Hiccup smiled, at least he could count on his friends not to shun him. "I'm doing...alright, thanks Ruff"

"Really H!? You were just beating the crap out of that breastplate!" Tuffnut responded pointing to it.

"What?!..." He looked at the badly dented metal. He'd been so lost in thought he hadn't noticed what he was doing, it was so bent out of shape it would have be completely re-forged. "...Oh Gobber's going to kill me" he groaned, tossing the breastplate onto the scrap pile and walking to the counter "Sorry about that guys, I guess I got carried away"

"Hiccup we're here for you, you know that right? I mean...you know, if you wanna talk about what happened last night?"

"Thanks Ruff, but I don't want to talk about it...at least not until I've spoken with Astrid later. And it's not that...well not entirely. It's just..." He trailed off and looked out into the square. "...look at them." He gestured to a group of villagers and the others looked. The villagers immediately turned away when he made eye contact. "They won't talk to me...most of them won't even look at me and if they do it's like I've grown a second head!" Hiccup leaned on the counter and stared at it. "They've not treated me like this since, you know...before."

The others looked to each other sadly. They all knew what he meant, but at the same time couldn't imagine how bad all of this made Hiccup feel. Snotlout placed a hand reassuringly on Hiccups shoulder and he looked up.

"Hiccup...forget about them. You've got us!" he gestured around him and the twins nodded in agreement.

Hiccups smile returned. "Thanks guys, I -"

"HICCUP!"

The four teens and Toothless jumped in surprise, they looked to where the voice came from and saw Fishlegs sprinting across the square towards them. All of their mouths fell open, they'd never seen Fishlegs move so fast.

Hiccup quickly left the forge to meet him. "Fishlegs!?...Fishlegs what's wrong?"

"Stoick!...They want!..." Fishlegs gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Fishlegs I don't understand, take a knee!"

Fishlegs knelt and took a moment to compose himself. "Stoick sent me to get you...you're to appear before the High Council!"

All eyes fell on Hiccup as he stood there looking thoughtful. Their minds were whirling with questions. 'What do they want?' 'What did he do?' 'Will he be punished?' They waited apprehensively for his response.

"Alright, I'll be right there" Hiccup calmly answered. "Thanks for telling me Fishlegs...come on Toothless!" he called before casually jogging towards the Great Hall.

The others watched him leave with shocked expressions. Hiccup didn't seem even slightly surprised the Council wanted to see him. They stood silently for a moment before Tuffnut spoke. "Uhhh...what just happened?!"

"Do you think he knew the Council would want to see him?" Fishlegs asked.

"I dunno...but lets find out!" Snotlout declared before chasing after him and the twins followed.

"Not again..." Fishlegs groaned, he was already exhausted from the run there. "...why did I leave you at home this morning Meatlug?" He questioned himself before lumbering after them.

Hiccup arrived outside the Great Hall with Toothless right behind him, he spotted his father and ran to him. "Hey Dad! What's the verdict? Did they agree?" He asked frantically.

"They're still undecided Hiccup, that's why we've called for you" Stoick replied pushing one of the doors open and gesturing inside.

Hiccup approached and noticed Toothless following him. "No bud, you have to stay out here" Toothless crooned sadly. "I'll be fine bud" he assured an then entered the Great Hall.

Hiccup suddenly felt nervous, he'd hoped things would be simple and the council would agree. Now he'd have to convince them. He froze for a second as he saw the Council members gathered around the fire, watching him expectantly. Individually he knew them all well and in any other situation he'd have no problem approaching them...but this was the High Council, they suddenly came across rather intimidating.

"Go on son...you've nothing to fear" Stoick reassured.

Hiccups confidence began to return and he looked up to his father.

Stoick saw the glint of determination in his eyes and nodded. They approached the Council and Stoick took his place at the centre, flanked by the other members. Hiccup stood at the opposite end of the fire place.

"Hiccup, you've been summoned before the Council because we have a mission for you" Stoick began.

Hiccups eyes widened slightly, that's not what he thought he was being summoned for. "A mission? What kind of mission?"

Stoick smiled slightly before continuing. "About two weeks ago I started recieving messages from Bertha, chieftess of the Bog Burglar tribe. They're regularly being attacked by a rogue dragon"

"Rogue dragon..." Hiccup responded, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "...what kind of dragon?"

"They don't know Hiccup, it's a dragon they've never seen before...they call it The Shrieker"

'The Shrieker?' He thought, he was smart enough to know why they called it that but he needed more information. "Have any of them had a good look at it? Has there been any casualties?"

"No Hiccup...they've only seen enough to know they don't recognise it, this dragon is fast. Attacks end just as fast as they begin. There's been no casualties so far, it seems to only be targeting livestock and their storehouses" Stoick explained.

Hiccup looked thoughtful again before continuing. "Okay...so what do you want me to do?"

"We want you to go there and somehow stop these attacks before they escalate. Train it, relocate it, anything. The Bog Burglars have been tolerant of dragons since the peace, but if this carries on much longer Bertha will have no choice but to hunt it down"

"I'll do it!" Hiccup announced resolutely. "I don't want any casualties...Viking or dragon. Besides, if the dragons a new species...I want to study it!"

Stoick nodded in affirmative and then braced himself for the onslaught of mocking and sniggering that would follow his next statement. "Your old friend..." He could hear the laughter starting already. "... Camicazi will be your main contact whilst you're there" he sighed and The Council erupted in laughter. "ALRIGHT QUIET DOWN! THIS IS SERIOUS!" Stoick shouted.

"Aw come on Stoick!..." Gobber chuckled. "...the lass did manage to steal your undies while you were still wearing them!" Gobber burst into laughter then and the Council joined him.

Stoick sighed and shook his head, he'd never live that down. He looked to Hiccup who he fully expected to be laughing as well but was surprised to see he wasn't, he looked surprised and excited.

'Cami?!' He thought. He was baffled as to how he'd not made the connection sooner. She was his oldest friend and he hadn't seen her in over five years. His father told him she came to see him shortly after the battle with the Red Death, but he was still unconscious and she had to leave before he woke up. He'd wanted to visit her many times but with his Chief training, the Dragon Academy and constantly defending Berk he couldn't get away. But now he had his chance and he couldn't help grinning at the thought of it.

The council had finally calmed down and Stoick was able to continue. "We're glad you accept son, but there's something we need to address before you leave, regarding this mission...and your plan"

Hiccups grin fell. 'This must be why they're undecided' he thought before responding. "Uhh...okay, such as?"

Stoick rubbed his hands together before continuing. "You're the heir of Berk son, and you need to be protected. We'll be assigning a bodyguard to go with you" He turned to Egil and he nodded back reluctantly. "We're sending Astrid with you"

Hiccup tensed suddenly and his stern expression returned. He deeply respected the council and usually agreed with whatever they decided. But this was crossing the line, he couldn't let this happen. He breathed heavily before answering. "That's not going to happen dad" His voice was flat and cold again.

Stoick wavered for a second, he'd discovered last night that when Hiccup was like this there was no changing his mind, but he had to press on regardless. "You need to be protected son. We can't let you handle this alone, what if something happens to you?"

"I won't be alone dad, like you said Cami will be there. We've been good friends since we were five and she's one of the best fighters in the archipelago...even better than Astrid! What if I asked her to train me? She always said she wanted to...so I could defend myself against the other kids. She's small compared to other Vikings, just like I am. If anyone can teach me to fight...its her. You're also forgetting that Cami doesn't exactly like Astrid, she saw Astrid as the ringleader when the others beat me up. Cami's had my back everytime we've been together...this time won't be any different" He looked down and muttered. "Besides...do you honestly think I could work with Astrid after all she's done?" He looked his father in the eye. "Astrid needs to stay and lead the Dragon Academy while I'm gone. I can't leave it to Snotlout and the twins...it'd de a disaster! Whichever way you look at it, sending Astrid with me is a bad idea"

The council spoke quietly between themselves, attempting to find any faults with Hiccups response. They deliberated for a good ten minutes before they came to an agreement. Stoick turned back to his son and cleared his throat. "Hiccup..."

Time seemed to stand still as Hiccup crossed his fingers hopefully behind his back, silently praying to all the gods that what he'd proposed was enough to convince them.

"...on the condition Camicazi trains you...you can go"

"Thank Thor!" He sighed in exasperation. "I'll load Toothless' saddlebags tonight and leave first thing tomorrow"

"Hold on son, you'll be sailing there not flying"

"But dad the journey by sea will take a week! I can be there in a half a day riding Toothless!"

"I'm well aware of that son, let me finish. As I said the Bog Burglars have become more accepting with the dragons but these attacks have put them on edge, landing in the middle of their village on the back of a Night Fury is probably a bad idea. Also its time to renew the peace treaty between us, I'll be going with you and staying for a few days so me and Bertha can negotiate"

"Im coming too!" Gobber announced, he walked around the fireplace and stood next to Hiccup. "I want to see the lad off properly"

Hiccup smiled at his mentor and turned his attention back to his father.

Stoick nodded in agreement. He fully understood why Gobber wanted to go, his son meant so much to the old blacksmith. He looked to Spitelout and began issuing orders. "Spitelout, you're in charge while I'm gone. Sven, Bucket, Mulch you head to the docks and oversee the preparation of the ship. Egil..." He paused when he saw how downbeat his friend looked. "...Egil you stay with me, we should talk. Hiccup, do whatever you need to do, we leave in three days"

Hiccup turned to leave the Great Hall with the other members but stopped suddenly, he cast a concerned look over his shoulder to Egil and started to feel guilty.

"Come on lad..." Gobber wrapped his good arm around Hiccups shoulder. "...time to go" He said, guiding Hiccup towards the doors.

"The last thing I wanted was to hurt him Gobber"

"I know lad, but you're doing the right thing. Besides, you've got three days. I'm sure you'll get a chance to talk before you leave"

"I guess you're right..." Hiccup sighed.

Gobber flung the doors open and they were dazzled by the intense sunlight.

"HICCUP!"

"Yeah?..." He paused for a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, when his vision returned he saw the other teens staring at him. "Hey guys, what're you doing here?" He asked innocently.

"What did they want Hiccup? Is everything okay!?...are you going to be okay?!" Fishlegs begged, gripping his shoulders and shaking him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa Fishlegs! Everything's going to be fine!..."

"Oh thank Thor.." Fishlegs sighed with relief. "So...what did they want?"

He quickly glanced at the sun and saw it was almost noon. "I'll explain everything at the Academy, you guys meet me there in an hour..." His cold expression returned and the others shifted nervously. "...I'm going to meet Astrid" he then turned to face Gobber. "Do you mind if we use the forge?"

"Take as long as you need lad, I'll wait outside and see to it you're not disturbed"

"Thanks" he said sincerely before looking back to the others "I'll see you guys later" And with That Hiccup and Gobber left.

"I'm going to see Astrid. I said I'd go with her" Ruffnut told the others who nodded and left for the Academy. As she walked to the Hofferson home she thought about Hiccup and what he was going through. The battered breastplate, the villagers ignoring him, being called to Council and the way he tensed at just the thought of her best friend. 'Gods Astrid, I hope you're ready for this'

-  
Astrid sat alone at her dining table, Egil was yet to return and Ingrid had left to see the village seamstress. She stared at the wall in front of her psyching herself up. 'I can do this. I can make things right. Hiccup will understan-' Her trail of thought was broken suddenly.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Astrid?"

"Ruff!?" Astrid ran to the door and opened it, she immediately saw the worry in Ruffnut's eyes and her heart sank. "What's is it Ruff?"

"Hiccups on his way to the forge"

"You've seen him! How is he?!"

"Astrid..." Ruffnut looked down and shook her head. "...this is bad, this is really, really bad. I've never seen him like this" She looked Astrid in the eye. "I'm worried about him"

"I am too Ruff..." She took a deep breath and looked determined. "...but I have to try and fix this. Lets go"

As they walked to the forge Ruffnut told Astrid about everything that happened earlier with Hiccup. By the time they arrived at the entrance to the main square, most of Astrid's hope and determination had left her. She looked to the forge and saw the counter and all of the shutters were closed, Gobber and Toothless were waiting outside. She took a moment to steel herself. 'It's now or never'

"You ready for this?" Ruffnut asked nervously.

"As ready as I'll ever be" Astrid breathed and then entered the square.

The square fell silent, the villagers that had been bartering or enjoying pleasant conversation only moments ago all looked to her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Explanation.

Astrid stood stiff as the eyes of every villager in the square bore into her, most of them looked disappointed, some even looked disgusted before they turned away and acted like she wasn't there. Most of her life she'd carried the reputation of being one of Berks fiercest fighters, she was always treated with respect and never had a reason to feel insecure about herself. But at that moment she did, she felt small and insignificant. She'd never experienced anything like this before and started to panic, a sudden urge to flee overwhelmed her. "I-I need to go..." She stammered backing away. "...I can't do this"

"Astrid no!..." Ruffnut cried grabbing her wrists. "...Astrid you can't run away from this! Think about Hiccup!"

'Hiccup' she thought. Her panic turned into guilt as she realised this is how Hiccup must have felt his entire childhood. She was experiencing first hand what it felt like to be ignored by your own people. He was finally able to gain their respect and build a reputation for himself, but she'd torn all of that away from him. She shuddered slightly as the true gravity of her mistake hit her. "You're right Ruff...this is about Hiccup, not me." She firmly stated.

Ruffnut released Astrid's wrists and smiled. "Come on, best not keep him waiting"

Astrid nodded and the pair began towards the forge, as they got closer a commotion erupted ahead of them. The villagers stampeded towards them and away from the forge screaming. "NIGHT FURY!" "GET DOWN!" Before she could react Toothless leapt before her snarling viscously, his pupils dilated into slits and wings fully extended blocking their way. "Toothless?!...Toothless stop!" Astrid pleaded as Toothless advanced.

"NO BUD!" out of nowhere Hiccup appeared between her and his dragon. "Easy bud, easy, it's okay..." He soothed rubbing Toothless' chin. "I asked her to come bud, you know that" Toothless calmed and his pupils returned to normal, he crooned apologetically as he walked back to the forge and sat next to Gobber. Hiccup looked over his shoulder to the two now terrified women. "Sorry about that, he's been acting very overprotective today" He looked back to Toothless and sighed. "Maybe we shouldn't do this here Astrid..." He said but didn't make eye contact. "...how about the cove?"

"Okay" she responded shakily. She turned to Ruffnut and found herself enveloped in another hug.

"Good luck sister"

"Thank you" Astrid broke from the hug and turned to look at Hiccup, he still had his back to her and all the dread she felt the previous night returned. 'Here we go' she thought as she approached and stood at his side.

He nodded and they left for the cove.

Gobber walked over to Ruffnut as she nervously watched them leave.

"What do you think Gobber? Do you think they can get through this?"

"I don't know Ruffnut, I really don't know. But whatever Astrid has to say, she needs to say it now..." He let out a heavy sigh and looked down. "...she might not get another chance"

Ruffnut's eyes widened, she was suddenly overcome with worry for her best friend. "What?! Why?!...What's gonna happen to her if she can't fix this?! You're on the Council...tell me Gobber, please!"

"Ruffnut! Ruffnut calm down!..." He placed his good hand on her shoulder, she was becoming hysterical. "...Nothings going to happen to Astrid lass, Hiccups' already seen to that"

She relaxed for a moment, relieved that nothing bad was going to happen to Astrid. But her relief left suddenly. 'Hiccups' already seen to that' she repeated in her mind. She began recalling how Hiccup had acted that morning again, how he didn't seem surprised when he was summoned before the Council, the sudden announcement he had to make. The worry she felt for Astrid a moment ago resurfaced. She knew what Hiccup was like, he always had a plan and accounted for every possible scenario. Her face paled and she looked to Gobber with a pained expression. "What's Hiccup planning Gobber?...why was he called to Council?" She asked softly.

"I-I can't say lass, Hiccup wants to tell you and the other riders himself" he was conflicted. Part of him wanted to tell her, he could see how stressed Ruffnut was getting but at the same time couldn't disrespect Hiccups' wishes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her forward. "Come on lass, I'll walk you to the Academy"  
-

Hiccup and Astrid arrived at the entrance to the cove, the wooden shield Hiccup carried with him the day he met Toothless no longer blocked the way. Being exposed to the elements the past couple of years had gradually rotted the wood and rusted the metal, causing it to disintegrate.

Hiccup smiled gently at the memory of that fateful day. That day his life changed for the better, he'd finally found his purpose. He crouched down and picked up one of the few remaining pieces of metal that wasn't rusted. He examined it thoughtfully and suddenly felt it held some kind of sentimental value, he wasn't going to be able to come back here for a long time and he liked the idea of being able to carry a piece of that day with him.

Astrid watched him closely, concerned about his odd behaviour. 'What is he doing?' She thought. Neither had said a word to each other the entire trip but she felt she had to say something. "Umm, Hiccup? Are you okay?"

Hiccup snapped out of it and stood quickly. He put the piece of metal into the pouch on his belt and entered the cove without responding. He approached an old log and sat down, haunched forward with his hands resting in his lap. He stared out at the glistening, crystal clear water of the large pond at the coves centre.

Astrid approached the log slowly, she was so nervous her knees were shaking. She sat next to him and rubbed her hands together apprehensively. She'd rehearsed what she was going to say a thousand times but right now...seeing how depressed he was, she couldn't think of anything that would make him feel better. The silence seemed to last for an eternity before Hiccup finally spoke.

"W-What did I do wrong A-Astrid?" His voice was hitched, like he was about to cry. "What d-did I do to make you hate me s-so much?"

Her eyes welled with tears at the sound of his voice. "Oh Hiccup!..." she shifted closer to him and grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. "...I don't hate you! I could never hate you!"

"Then why did you say all of those things?" He looked down to her hand and squeezed it gently before pulling away.

Astrid froze for a moment and a cold shiver crept up her spine. Something about the way he let go didn't feel right, it felt like he was saying goodbye. She had to act now, tell him the truth before she truly lost him. "Hiccup I didn't mean what I said last night, you have to believe me! I was...I was scared!"

"I find that very hard to believe..." He sniffed while wiping away a stray tear. "...I mean come on, you're Astrid! Fearless Astrid Hofferson! You're not afraid of anything!" He turned to look at her and jumped slightly, immediately catching the look of honesty in her eyes. She was never a good liar, her eyes always gave it away.

She smiled slightly, knowing by the look on his face that he believed her. "I'm afraid of two things actually" She shrugged.

Hiccup cocked a brow and waited for her to continue.

"I said all of those things last night because...I was afraid of marrying you Hiccup" She sighed sadly.

Hiccups eyes shot open in shock. "What!? You were afraid of marrying me!?" He rose from the log sharply and began pacing, looking at the ground and shaking his head. "God's I was so wrong about us!...How could I have been so stupid!"

"Not just you Hiccup...Anyone!" She quickly corrected. She leapt up and grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I wasn't scared of marrying 'you' Hiccup, the idea of marriage itself scares me. I couldn't be a warrior anymore, train and ride dragons or go on adventures with you and the others..." She looked to her feet and whispered. "...I'd have to stay at home...cook, clean and be a good wife who looks after her husband. I hate just the thought of that" She felt relieved, like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She looked back up to Hiccup and her heart dropped, he looked devastated. "Hiccup? Say something please!?" she begged.

"Is-is that what you think I would have done to you after we were married!?" He stepped back, pulling out of her grasp. "That I'd stop you from doing all the thing's that make you happy!? Force you to be some kind of-of 'maid' that serves me and bares me a child whenever I want!? I would never do that to you Astrid!" He cried staggering backwards. He slumped back onto the log and ran both hands through his hair, as he did he felt the two braids tied behind his right ear.

Astrid looked to the ground ashamed. She should have trusted him, he wasn't like any other Viking and always defied tradition. She should have known he wouldn't have turned her into a housewife. She looked up and noticed him twisting the end of one of his braids, she'd tied them for him after he'd saved her from Alvin the Treacherous when he invaded Berk looking for 'The Dragon Conqueror'. They meant so much more to her than just his appearance, they were her way of leaving her mark on him.

"You know Astrid..." Hiccup spoke softly. "...I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember, I always dreamed that one day we'd be a couple. When you kissed me in front of the entire village after the battle, it was the happiest moment of my life. And after that when things between us only got better...I actually started to believe that was possible..." He sighed heavily before continuing. "...I wouldn't have done that to you Astrid. I know too well, I-I-I loved you"

Astrid watched in horror as he began to untie his braids. "Hiccup...please don't-"

"All that time, deep down there was a small part of me that thought things were too good to be true..." He finished unravelling the first braid and moved to the other. "...I guess I was right"

"Hiccup please don't do this! I can't lose you, please don't hate me!" She pleaded. Her body was trembling with fear.

"I don't 'hate' you Astrid" he approached her and held both her arms. He guided her back to the log and sat her down next to him. Even after everything she'd done, he still cared about her. "Look, I'm not saying we can never be friends again. Who knows, in the future I might be able to forgive you. I'm willing to be civil with you for now"

Astrid perked up slightly at the small glimmer of hope. "So will you at least let me try and make it up to you? How about dinner tonight with me and my parents? I can ask my mom to make her famous mutton stew" Hiccup chuckled lightly and she smiled.

"That's a low blow Astrid, you know I can't resist Ingrid's cooking! I'll come, I need to talk to Egil anyway. But Astrid there's something else you need to know"

She looked at him puzzled until she remembered what her father had said earlier. "Is this about the emergency Council meeting this morning? Your plan to change Berks future?"

"Yes I'm...I'm leaving Berk Astrid"

"What!? Why!? How long will you be gone!? How can I make things up to you if you're not even here!?"

"It won't be forever Astrid...come on. Lets meet up with the others at the Academy, I'll explain everything then"

Astrid wanted to question him further but she stopped herself. She didn't want to do anything that could threaten the fragile relationship they had managed to rebuild. "Alright"

With that they left the cove and walked back to the village.  
-

Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins stood in a circle in the middle of the Academy. Ruffnut was telling the others about what Gobber had told her.

"Guys I'm telling you, Hiccups definitely up to something"

"I dunno Ruff, there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why Hiccup was called to Council"

"Oh yeah? Like what Fishlegs!?"

"Well he is training to be chief, Stoick could have called for him so Hiccup could experience what it's like being on the Council. It is one of a chiefs duties after all"

"Yeah Ruffnut!" Snotlout joined the argument. "Just because Hiccup wasn't surprised at being called to Council, doesn't mean he's up to no good. For all we know Stoick could have pre-warned him"

"WELL I THINK!...wait what are we talking about again?"

Ruffnut rolled her eyes and punched her brother in the gut.

"Oh I'm hurt. I'm very much hurt" He wheezed.

She turned back to the other two and carried on. "Look guys I don't wanna believe it either but I'm telling you, something doesn't feel right"

"What doesn't feel right?..."

The three of them stood bolt upright, instantly recognizing that familiar, nasally voice. Their heads snapped around to see Hiccup and Astrid entering the Academy.

"...and what happened to Tuffnut?" He asked pointing to him. He was hunched forward gripping his stomach and moaning quietly.

"Nothing! Nothing he's fine!" Ruffnut replied hastily.

"Yep toootally fine" Fishlegs agreed.

Snotlout slapped a hand to his face. Appalled at their pathetic attempt to cover this up.

"Guys?" Hiccup asked suspiciously.

"I'm alright H!" Tuffnut interrupted, standing up straight. "Must've eaten some bad mutton"

"Oh God's" Hiccup sighed. "Anyway, I've got some important news for all of you" he turned to Astrid and she nodded before standing with the others.

As Astrid joined them Ruffnut noticed the look of sadness on her face. She gestured Astrid over and wrapped an are around her shoulder. "What happened?" She whispered.

"Tell you later" was the only response Astrid could muster.

The group watched Hiccup expectantly, all wanting to know why the Council wanted to see him.

"Gang I...I'm leaving Berk..."

All of them but Astrid shared a collected gasp.

"...That's why the Council wanted to see me. One of our allied tribes is constantly being attacked by a rogue dragon, one they've never seen before. The Council is sending me to help them get rid of it, if I don't go there's a good chance their or the dragon could be killed"

"But wait...if it's a dragon they've never seen before, that means it might be a new species!...and if it's a new species I want to see it and add it to The Book of Dragons! Hiccup I'm so coming with you!" Fishlegs squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down like a child with a new toy.

"No ones coming with me Fishlegs this is something I have to do alone. Besides that's not the only thing I'll be doing while I'm there, once I've helped them with their dragon problem I'm going to stay with them for a while. I'm going to teach them how to train and live with dragons. After that I'll visit our other allies and do the same" He scanned each of their faces, they all wore shocked expressions.

Astrid was the first to respond. "S-So how long will you be gone?"

"Two years..."

They all gasped again. Ruffnut caught Astrid as her knee's gave way and held her up.

"...I'll be back for a couple of weeks every six months to update the Council on my progress and catch up with you guys"

"Hiccup two years is a long time, what about the Academy?" Fishlegs asked solemnly.

Hiccup looked to Astrid, he felt a slight pang of guilt seeing her clinging onto Ruffnut. "Astrid?..."

Her eyes shot to him as he approached her.

"...Astrid will you take care of things while I'm gone?" He asked softly.

"O-Of course" she breathed.

"Thank you" he replied genuinely before looking to the others. "Astrid will be in charge of the Academy and Berks defence while I'm gone"

"Hiccup? When do you leave?" Astrid whispered.

"Three days" He stated.

Ruffnut felt Astrid tense at his words and held her closer. She cast a quick glance to Hiccup and the blood in her veins ran cold as she noticed his braids were gone. She was the only one who knew what those braids meant to Astrid.

"I'll see you tonight Astrid" Hiccup sighed as he turned and walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the slight delay with this chapter. I struggled a bit writing it so I'm a little nervous. Please review and let me know what you think_.  
-

Chapter 6 - Dinner

The group were speechless as they watched Hiccup leave. They couldn't believe what had just happened, the thought of Hiccup being gone for so long weighed heavily on them all.

"I'm sorry..."

The others turned their attention to Astrid.

"...this is all my fault" She squeaked.

Ruffnut looked to the others. "Can you give us some privacy?"

"Sure thing, come on guys!" Snotlout replied and the three of them left.

Ruffnut walked Astrid to the nearest crate and sat her down, she sat next to her and pulled her close. "Astrid, what in the name of Thor happened between you two? Why are his braids gone?"

"H-He took them out..." She sobbed. "...he said he doesn't love me anymore and took them out right in front of me!"

Ruffnut's eyes widened in shock. "So-so that's it?! Things really are over between you two!?"

"N-Not entirely..." She managed to regain a little composure as she remembered all was not lost. "...he said that he might be able to forgive me one day and we could be friends again. He's giving me a chance to make things right. I invited him to dinner tonight with me and my parents and he accepted"

"Astrid that's great! It shows he still cares about you, maybe not as much as before but he still has some feelings for you"

"I know that Ruff but...how am I supposed to make it up to him when he won't be here?"

"I don't know Astrid..." Ruffnut conceded. "...but he's here for now. And like he said he'll be back every six months, I know it's not alot of time but you still have a chance"

"I guess you're right" Astrid sighed as she stood up. "I'm going to go home and tell my parents about tonight" Ruffnut stood as well and Astrid hugged her tightly. "Thanks for everything Ruff, I don't know what I'd do without you"

"No problem Astrid, I'm glad I could help" She broke from the hug and Astrid headed home.  
-

Hiccup climbed the hill towards his house and spotted Toothless waiting for him.

Toothless approached with his head bowed low, Hiccup could tell he was feeling bad about scaring Astrid earlier. He knelt before his dragon and scratched his chin. "It's alright bud. You were just being protective, but I don't want you to do that to Astrid ever again, you hear?" Toothless warbled in agreement. "Thanks bud" he smiled before entering his house.

Stoick was sat by the hearth, roasting three large turkeys on a spit. "Hey dad"

"Greetings son, is everything alright?"

"Sort of..." He shrugged as he closed the door behind him.

Stoick watched with concern as his son approached.

"...I just told the other riders what's going to happen, they...they didn't take it very well"

"What did you expect Hiccup, they're your friends. None of us want you to be gone so long, we'll all miss you" He stood up and gripped his son's shoulders. "Look, I know you don't want to upset anyone. And I know that in your chief training I'm always telling you to think about the needs of others. But sometimes in life you have to be selfish, think about what's best for you and only you, this is one of those times son"

"I know that dad..." Hiccup looked up to his father. "...but it's not just that. I didn't tell them everything, I didn't tell them exactly where I was going or that I was hoping to find love along the way. I feel bad lying to them"

"What you tell them is up to you son, but in my opinion you should at least tell them where you're going. They're going to find out eventually and I think it's best they hear it from you, not some trader who spots you while you're there. You know what Johann's like, he'd tell every poor soul he met! As for you looking for a wife, I see no reason to tell them until you do"

Hiccup considered his fathers advice for a moment. "You're right dad...I'll tell them where I'm going"

"That's my boy!" Stoick cried as he pulled his son into a crushing hug, lifting him off his feet.

"Daaad...can't...breeeath!" Hiccup gasped as his father squeezed him tighter.

"Oh! Sorry son" Stoick apologised as he released him.

Hiccup took a moment to catch his breath. "I'll be back late tonight. I'm going to patrol the island and then I'll be eating at at the Hoffersons"

"AT THE HOFFERSONS!? SO YOU'VE FORGIVEN THE LASS ALREADY!?" Stoick boomed angrily.

"No dad I haven't forgiven her, not by a long shot. I just don't want to leave Berk with things as bad as they are between us, especially between me and her parents. They're not to blame for all this" Hiccup defended.

Stoick was silent for a moment, he couldn't argue with his sons reasoning. "You're right son, I'm sorry I overreacted"

"Its okay dad, I understand. I'll see you tomorrow okay"

"Alright son, take care of yourself"

Hiccup nodded at his father in affirmative. He left the house and mounted Toothless. "Lets go bud" he said before they took off on patrol.  
-

Egil and Ingrid sat opposite each other at their dining table silently, waiting for their daughter to return. Egil had explained to his wife what happened at the Council meeting, she had been inconsolable when she learned of Hiccups plan. Ingrid only ever wanted what was best her daughter and was was so happy when Egil and Stoick agreed the marriage contract. She'd always liked Hiccup, even when the rest of the village considered him useless. She knew he would treat Astrid right and not take advantage of her. Knowing that he was leaving to find someone else he'd willingly marry broke her heart.

Their heads snapped to the door as they heard it creak open.

Astrid entered her house and saw both her parents sat at the table, staring at her worriedly. She sighed and closed the door before approaching them.

"Astrid dear, are you alright?" Ingrid asked softly.

"How'd things go with Hiccup? Egil continued.

"Well...he pretty much ended everything between us..." She sighed and looked to both of her parents. "...But he is giving me a chance to repair our friendship. I've invited Hiccup to dinner tonight, I hope you don't mind"

Egil and Ingrid looked to each other, both surprised he'd accepted Astrid's invitation. They nodded in agreement and looked back to their daughter.

"Of course we don't mind Astrid, I'll get to work on dinner right away" Ingrid replied, there was a hint of relief in her voice.

"Can you make your famous mutton stew he likes so much?" She pleaded.

Ingrid saw the hope in her eyes and smiled. "No problem dear"

"Thanks mom, I'm going to get ready. Can't have Hiccup coming for dinner with me looking like this!" She said gesturing to her tear stained face.

"Take you're time dear. Egil honey? Will you help me prepare dinner?"

"Of course" He smiled rising from his seat. He walked around the table and kissed his wife softly.

As he did Astrid realised something. Her father didn't sit around doing nothing while her mother pampered to his every whim. They did everything together, cooking, cleaning...he even carried the baskets for her when they went to market. She was still able to train and was an able-bodied fighter, her mother had taught her everything she knew.

For a moment she pictured herself with Hiccup, he would have treated her exactly the same. 'Gods...how could I have been so stupid' she thought as she climbed the stairs to her room.  
-

Hiccup landed Toothless outside the Hofferson home a couple of hours later feeling a little nervous. He knew Astrid would react badly when she found out where he was going and that he'd be spending most of his time with Camicazi. Blood was almost spilt when Camicazi accused Astrid of orchestrating his beatings when he was younger. She was only allowed to visit him after the battle with the Red Death on the condition she behaved herself. He knew he had to tell her but hoped the subject didn't come up at dinner, it would ruin what could be his only opportunity to patch things up with Egil and Ingrid before he left.

Toothless sensed his best friends nervousness and purred softly.

"I'll be alright bud" he said as he dismounted. He placed a hand on his dragons head reassuringly. "You go back to the house, I'll be back in a couple of hours" Toothless nuzzled his head into Hiccups side in a show of support and then left. Hiccup approached the Hofferson home slowly, he let out a heavy sigh before knocking.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"I'll get it!" He heard Astrid cry before she opened the door.

"Hey Astrid" he greeted.

"Hi Hiccup, come on in" she responded, gesturing inside.

Astrid guided him to his seat at the table while her mother served dinner, when she was done she took a seat opposite Hiccup while Egil sat opposite his daughter. None of them really knew what to say to each other and an awkward silence fell upon them.

About half way through his bowl, Hiccup felt he had to say something. The silence was deafening and he felt like he could cut through the tension in the air with a knife. "The stew is delicious as always Ingrid"

"Thank you dear" she replied and silence fell upon them again.

Egil was the next on to try and start a conversation. "So have you decided which tribes you'll visit after you've helped the Bogs with their 'Shreiker' problem?"

'Oh Gods' Hiccup thought and he turned to look at Astrid. She was staring into her bowl and her fists were clenched on the table.

"The Bogs..." She whispered. She pictured Camicazi in her mind and her anger started to rise. "The Bogs?! You're going to the Bog Burglar tribe?!" Astrid snapped, slamming her fist on the table. "So you'll be spending all of your time with HER?! That...that..."

"ASTRID!" Egil cried reaching for her shoulder. He was shocked when Hiccup grabbed his wrist to stop him. Egil looked to him confused but he merely shook his head.

"...pint sized little BITCH?!"

Hiccup released Egil's wrist and stared into his bowl, he expected her to be angry but hearing her insult Cami made his blood boil. "That pint sized little..." He couldn't bring himself to say the last part. "...whatever. Is my friend Astrid, she's been my friend a Hel of alot longer than you have. She was the only one who treated me as an equal when I was a kid, the only one who always believed in me when you and the others thought I was useless!"

Astrid's rage dissipated and turned into fear as Hiccups voice became cold and emotionless again. He'd given her a chance to repair their friendship but instead she'd let her anger get the better of her again and pushed him further away. "Hiccup I'm sorry"

"No Astrid, I'm sorry. I knew coming here was a bad idea, I was stupid to think we could go back to being friends again"

Astrid felt like her heart had been ripped out. She reached for his hand but he pulled it away instantly. "Hiccup please...give me another chance"

Hiccup stood up without responding and looked to her parents. "Egil, Ingrid as far as my dads concerned this never happened. Thanks for dinner" he stated before he turned around and left.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Hey everyone :) again sorry for the delay with this chapter. I've received some PM's from people worried that this story is discontinued and I want let you all know that I will finish this story. As always please enjoy and review :)_

Chapter 7 - Departure

Egil and Ingrid flinched as their front door slammed shut with so much force the house shook and dust fell from the rafters.

"Hic..."

Their eyes snapped to their daughter as she spoke softly.

"Hic-Hiccup! Wait!" Astrid cried. She shot up from her seat ran after him.

"ASTRID!" Egil scrambled after her, he only just managed to catch up to her as she was opening the door. He placed his hand on it and pushed it shut again with all his might.

"Dad what are you doing!? I need to talk to him!" She tried to yank the door open but her efforts were in vein. Her father was too strong for her.

"Astrid you cant go after him!..." He knelt before his daughter and held her hands softly. He looked her in the eye and his heart broke, she looked devastated. "...Astrid honey, you can't"

"But I..."

"No buts Astrid!..." His voice rose slightly. As much as he felt bad for his daughter, he couldn't help getting a little angry. Hiccup had given her a chance to reconcile but she'd thrown everything back in his face. "...I think your words have caused enough damage already"

"I-I'm sorry dad...I didn't mean to get so angry" She squeaked and looked to her feet. "I just...I couldn't stop myself"

Egil softened slightly as she visibly deflated. He raised a hand and lifted her chin so they were eye to eye again. "Astrid, your strength and battle rage is something me and your mother will always be proud of but..." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "...only when you use it against a target or an enemy. Hiccup is neither of those Astrid, you need to stop treating him like one"

Astrid was speechless as she realised her father was right, she had treated him like a target in some ways. She always punched him to boost her own confidence before she kissed him, never thinking about how it could be affecting him.

She punched him before pecking him on the cheek after their first flight on Toothless. She punched him before kissing him in front of the entire village after the battle with the Red Death. She'd often wondered why she was the one who always initiated their kisses, but now she understood. He was afraid of how she'd react if he tried to kiss her.

The tears she so desperately tried to hold back reached the surface as what he'd said to her last night echoed in her mind.

'...I was actually building up the courage to tell you that I wanted to be more than just friends with you on my way here!...'

'building up the courage' she thought. He was actually afraid of telling her what she'd wanted to hear from him for so long. "Dad please, please let me go after him? I-I need to apologise...for everything I've put him through..." she begged and gripped her fathers hands tighter. "...please?"

Egil glanced to his wife and she shook her head sadly. As much as she hated to admit it, Ingrid knew letting Astrid go after Hiccup while he was in his current state was a bad idea.

Egil nodded solemnly. He released his daughter's hands and placed both of his on her shoulders. "No Astrid, I'll go after Hiccup..."

"But dad I-"

"No Astrid!..." He firmly stated as he gripped her shoulders. "...you saw how upset he was! I think it's safe to say you're the last person he wants to see right now...I'll go after him" he finished resolutely.

Ingrid approached her daughter from behind and gently pulled her away. She leaned forward and spoke softly into Astrid's ear while guiding her back to her seat at the table. "Hiccups hurting again honey. Let your father talk to Hiccup, maybe he can calm him down"

"O-Okay" Astrid whispered.

Ingrid looked back to her husband gestured to the door.

Egil gave his wife an appreciative look before leaving in search of Hiccup.  
-

Hiccup stormed through the village, trying to get as far away from the Hofferson home as possible. The villagers he passed jumped out of his way when they saw the thunderous expression on his face.

He knew couldn't go back to his house while he was like this. His father would know right away that something bad had happened with Astrid and he'd be apocalyptically cross. He needed a place to calm himself down. He looked up to the sky and saw it was almost sunset. 'Ravens Point' he thought to himself. He rounded a corner onto a trail that led out of the village and towards the cliffs.

As he approached the edge of the village he spotted Ruffnut buying another mace for her and her brothers collection. 'Great, just what I need' he thought as she noticed him.

As Ruffnut looked to Hiccup, her face paled when she saw the fury in his eyes. "Hiccup? Are you alri-"

"Not now Ruffnut" Hiccup interrupted as he walked past without making eye contact.

Ruffnut faltered for a moment, she'd never heard his voice so cold. She looked back to him as he walked away and noticed he was stop bolt upright, his arms were pinned to his sides and his fists were clenched. She gulped audibly before running after him until they side by side. "Hiccup? What happened? What happened while you were at Astrid's?" She asked softly.

"I don't want to talk about it Ruff, just leave me alone alright!" He snapped.

Ruffnut froze to the spot in shock. Astrid had told her how angry he was last night, but she never imagined he could get this bad. It was like he was a completely different person and that worried her. She stood silently as she watched Hiccup disappear along the path leading to Ravens Point. 'Gods Astrid, not again' she thought sadly. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Egil.

"How is he Ruffnut?" he asked warily.

"Not good, I've never seen him like this before. What did Astrid do this time?"

Egil let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "I think its best you hear it from her Ruff..."

Ruffnut noticed Egil's face turn to one of sheer disappointment as he spoke and couldn't help feeling the same way. She couldn't believe Astrid had ruined what was possibly her only chance to make up with Hiccup.

"...Would you mind stopping by our house? She's pretty upset and could use your support. I'm going after Hiccup, someone needs to make sure the lads okay" Egil finished.

"No problem, I'll head straight there. Just..." She looked up to him with pleading eyes. "...just make sure Hiccups okay, I'm really worried about him"

"I will Ruffnut, don't you worry. I'll see you back at the house once I've spoken to him" he reassured.

"Thank you" she said in a hushed voice before heading back to the village.

Egil turned and looked to the path that led to Ravens Point. He took a deep breath to steel himself before heading after Hiccup.  
-

Hiccup sat a couple of meters from the edge of the cliff with his legs pulled close to his chest. His hair fluttered lightly in the wind as he stared out to the horizon. He rested his chin on his knees and smiled happily as he basked in the tranquillity of his surroundings.

The sunset that lay before him was beautiful, the sky was painted in striking pinks, oranges and purples. The the only sounds he could hear were the waves crashing into the cliff below him and the odd dragon that flew overhead. That was until...

"Hiccup?"

He snapped his head around and glared at the figure standing behind him. When he realised it was Egil he immediately relaxed. "Egil? Gods you're the last person I expected to see!"

Egil felt like he was intruding, he had no idea why Hiccup chose to come here of all places. He cleared his throat nervously before asking. "Do-do you mind if I join you lad?"

"Of course not" Hiccup replied as he stared out to the horizon again.

Egil approached Hiccup slowly and sat down next to him, he watched with concern as Hiccup stared out to sea. "Why are you up here Hiccup?"

"I come up here when I need to get away from everything...clear my head. The view of the sunsets from here are breathtaking"

Egil nodded solemnly. "Why didn't you tell Astrid where you were going Hiccup? You must have known she'd find out eventually"

"I knew that Egil, it's just...I saw how upset she was when I told her and the other riders I was leaving. She looked like she was about to collapse!" Hiccup sighed sadly. "I didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did"

"So you were just trying to protect her? You really do care about my daughter, don't you?"

"Care about her! I loved her...I loved her so much!" He pulled his knees closer and rocked back and forth. "She meant the world to me! I was willing to give her everything I had! My heart, my soul, even my life! I would have died for her Egil!"

A small smile crept onto Egil's face as he listened to Hiccup declare he loved his daughter. "Hiccup, I'm pretty sure Astrid feels the same way about you. She's in a really bad way back at the house, she wouldn't be this upset if you didn't mean anything to her. She's so happy when she's with you, I honestly think you two were made for each other..." He gently placed a hand on Hiccups shoulder. "...do you think you could give her another chance?" His smile fell and he pulled his hand away quickly as he felt Hiccup tense.

"No..." Hiccup answered calmly. "...I'm sorry Egil, but there will be no second chances. I tried that once already and look where it got me" he said gesturing around them. "If she hadn't have insulted Cami, I might have considered it. But she knows...you know, even my father knows how much she means to me! She's the only one other than Toothless who accepted me for who I was from the moment we met! I didn't have to prove myself to her! I knew Astrid would be mad when she found out where I was going but she didn't have to insult her like that!"

Egil stared down at the ground in front of him. He had no idea what to say and could fully understand why he was as upset as he was, but he also didn't want him to make any rash decisions he might later regret.

He looked to Hiccup with a sad expression and spoke softly. "Hiccup, I'm sorry for what you've had to go through recently and I know it's all down to Astrid. But think about what you're doing, do you really want to throw the relationship you've built together away? Astrid really wants to see you, she wants to apologise for everything. Would you at least consider coming back to my house so the pair of you can talk?"

"I wasn't the one who threw it all away Egil..." Hiccup answered bitterly as he rose to his feet. He cast one last look to the sun as it disappeared below the horizon and saw it as a sign. This chapter of his life which involved Astrid had come to an end.

Egil climbed to his feet and Hiccup turned to face him with a sad but determined look on his face.

"I don't want to see her Egil...I can't be around her at the moment. I-I don't want to get angry again..." He looked down in shame as he recalled how he'd treated the people closest to him the past day. The way he scared Fishlegs and barked orders at Snotlout in the square. The way he slammed the door as he left the Hofferson home. The way he told Ruffnut to get lost when all she asked was if he was okay.

Egil watched him carefully as he became lost in thought. He took a step towards him but froze as Hiccups head snapped up, his eyes were blazing with hurt and were rimmed with tears.

"...I want you to keep her away from me Egil, can you do that?"

Egil staggered backwards, he knew what Hiccup was implying but had to hear it with his own ears. "H-Hiccup are you asking me to forbid Astrid from seeing you!?"

"I..." He hesitated for a moment. "...I don't want it to come to that, I really don't. But if she's adamant she wants to see me then yes...yes I am asking you to. Just until the morning I leave, she can come and see me off at the docks if she wants"

Egil stood silently as he digested Hiccups words, he sighed heavily and shook his head. "God's above Hiccup, do you even know what you're asking? She'd hate me if I did that to her"

"Which is why I hope you don't have to" Hiccup countered as he took a step forward. "Look, I just need some space okay, I have so much to prepare before I leave and could really do without the distraction. Tell her that and hopefully she'll understand, if not you have to forbid her from seeing me...please Egil?"

Egil couldn't help but waver at the desperation in Hiccups voice. He took a deep breath and thought 'I can't believe I'm about to say this'

"As you wish lad, I'll do it if the need arises"

Hiccup smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. Now if you don't mind I'd like to be on my own for a while, I still need to calm down before seeing my dad" He raised a hand and Egil shook it firmly.

Egil turned and walked back towards the trail that led him here. He stopped for a moment and looked back to Hiccup who was now sat down staring out to sea again. He couldn't help but admire the boy, even after everything his daughter had put him through he still wanted to protect her from Stoicks wrath. His admiration suddenly turned to dread as the enormity of his next task dawned on him. 'How do I explain this to her' he thought as he trudged back to the village.  
-

Astrid, Ingrid and Ruffnut sat in silence at the dining table in the Hofferson home. Ruffnut had explained to the other women just how angry Hiccup had been. Even though she knew how mus Astrid hated Camicazi she'd also told Astrid how disappointed she was that she might have blown her last chance with Hiccup.

All of their eyes snapped to the door as they heard it un-latch.

Astrid watched her father enter and immediately noticed the dismal look on his face.

"D-D-Dad?..." Astrid stammered as she rose from her seat. Her knees shook violently as she walked around the table, resting her hands on it for support.

Ruffnut noticed how weak Astrid was on her feet and followed close behind her.

"...Dad h-how is he? Will he give me another chance?"

Egil glanced at his wife briefly and a tear ran down his cheek.

Ingrid saw the sorrow that filled his eyes and her heart split in two. She knew his answer.

"No Astrid...he won't"

Ruffnut lunged to catch Astrid as the one hand that supported her slipped off the table. "I got you Astrid, I got you" She lifted her best friend to her feet walked her over to the bench. Ruffnut sat Astrid down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

Egil approached his daughter and knelt before her. She looked to him with bloodshot eyes and asked. "W-What did he say dad?"

"He-he doesn't want to see you Astrid...not until he leaves in three days. He needs his space while he prepares to go honey..." He cupped her cheek gently. "...I'm sorry, there's nothing more I could have done"

Astrid's eye's shot open, her fathers words hit her so hard she felt like a Gronkle had crashed into her. She gripped Ruffnut tighter and muttered quietly before bursting into tears and running up to her room.

"Astrid!" Ruffnut yelled as she ran after her.

Ingrid watched the two girls climb the stairs and flinched as her daughters bedroom door slammed shut. She looked to her husband suspiciously as he sighed with relief. "What else did he say Egil" she asked in a serious tone.

"We have to keep them apart Ingrid"  
-

Hiccup stood at the docks the morning of his departure in a foul mood. He was both emotionally and physically exhausted. Since the day of his announcement and disastrous dinner with Astrid, things had been non-stop.

After he'd gathered the other riders and told them where he was going, he and Fishlegs spent most of the following day training their Terrible Terrors, Sharpshot and Iggy, to carry letters between Berk and Dragon Island. Hiccup had purposely volunteered to be the one to go to Dragon Island, Ruffnut had approached him several times that morning begging him to give Astrid another chance and he needed to get away.

The second and third day had mostly consisted of him clearing his belongings out of his house, the Academy and the forge.

He yawned loudly and looked back to the longship that would take him to the Bog Burglars. His father, Gobber, Toothless and the rest of the crew were already aboard. Part of him wished he was there with them, but there was one last thing he had to do.

"Hey Hiccup!" He heard a familiar voice call.

Hiccup looked back to the entrance of the docks and saw his friends, he couldn't help smiling as Snotlout, Fishlegs and Tuffnut walked towards him. His smile dropped slightly as he noticed Astrid and Ruffnut were hanging back.

Snotlout approached him first and presented him with a large object wrapped in cloth. "This is for you Cuz"

Hiccup took the gift and unwrapped the cloth around it. He gasped in shock when he saw what it was. "S-Snotlout, I cant accept this! This is your favourite axe!"

"I know..." Snotlout placed his hand on the blade and sighed heavily. "...I want you to have it Hiccup, it'll serve you well on your journey. I know we've had our differences in the past but...I'll miss you, alot"

"Gods I'll miss you too Snotlout" He hugged his cousin closely and couldn't help shedding a tear. They released each other and Snotlout gestured to Fishlegs.

"Hiccup I made this for you..." Fishlegs followed Snotlout's lead and handed Hiccup a small leather book. "...it's a condensed version of the Book of Dragons. It's not as detailed as the original but I listed all of the most important facts. I figured it might help you deal with the 'Shrieker'"

"Fishlegs this is great...thank you" he smiled flicking trough the pages. He pulled him into a hug as well and Fishlegs instantly returned it.

"Take care of yourself Hiccup" He whispered before releasing him and joining Snotlout.

"Hey H..." Tuffnut approached rubbing the back of his neck. "...so...erm...I don't have any cool gifts for you like the others but...can I get a hug too?"

"Sure" Hiccup grinned as he embraced him.

Ruffnut watched her brother release Hiccup and looked to Astrid worriedly. She took her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze before stepping forward and hugging Hiccup goodbye. She joined the others and watched nervously as her best friend approached him slowly.

Astrid gingerly wrapped her arm's around Hiccups waist, her heart dropped and she burrowed her face into his shoulder when he didn't react. "H-Hiccup please...please hold me. Hold me like you used to" She sobbed. She looked up to him desperately and was overcome with fear when she saw the cold look in his eyes.

He stepped backwards suddenly, pulling out of her embrace. "Goodbye Astrid..."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Hey everyone :) I know that when I first published this story I promised to update every 3-4 days, then I extended it to once a week, I'm sorry I haven't been able to do that so far. This is the first story I've ever written and I don't want to disappoint any of you with a rushed chapter. I will still aim for a weekly update but please don't panic if I'm a couple of days late. As always please enjoy and review :)_

Chapter 8 - Reunion

Hiccup turned his back on Astrid and picked up the gifts his friends had given him. He strapped Snotlout's axe across his back and put Fishlegs' miniature Book of Dragons into the pouch on his belt. He looked to Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins and smiled genuinely at them before walking towards the plank that led up to the deck of the longship.

Astrid watched him walk away in silence, running her hands down her braid nervously. "N-No...this can't be happening, this can't be happening" she whispered to herself as her mind swirled with emotions. She felt fear, sorrow, heartbreak and panic all at the same time. But then the panic became too much and she exploded.

"HICCUP NO!" she screamed at the top of her voice, startling the other riders and drawing the attention of those on the ship.

Stoick, Gobber and Toothless rushed to the starboard side and peered over to see Astrid running after him.

"Hiccup stop!" She cried as she pursued him, almost stumbling over her own feet. She grabbed his wrist and spun him around so he faced her and gripped his waist again. She pressed her head against his chest and closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat.

The docks descended into complete silence and everyone could hear what she had to say.

"H-Hiccup please don't leave me. I can't lose you...I need you. I-I love you"

Hiccups heart melted slightly as he heard her speak those three magical words for the first time, she'd never admitted that she actually loved him before. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, resting his chin on her head.

She couldn't help the pathetic whimper that escaped her as his warmth enveloped her. "I love you Hiccup...please say it back, please say you still love me" she pleaded.

He thought about it for a moment. A tiny part of him still did love her, but it wasn't enough. To much damage had been done and he seriously doubted they would ever be able to go back to the way they were before, he had to let her go and move on. He looked over to Ruffnut and gestured her over with his eyes.

Ruffnut's blood ran cold as she saw the cold, determined look on his face. She glanced to the others and they looked back at her with pained expressions, they all knew what was about to happen. Snotlout placed his hand on her back gently and ushered her forward. As she approached she shook her head at Hiccup sadly and mouthed 'don't'

"Astrid I can't"

Astrid's eyes shot open in terror as he released her. She looked up to him and frantically gripped the collar of his flight suit. "B-But...why?" She asked in a hoarse voice.

"Because..." Hiccup gently pried her hands off him. He glanced to Ruffnut who approached slowly and wrapped an arm around her best friend. He let go of Astrid's hands and took a step back. "...Because I don't...not any more. I'm sorry"

Astrid's eyes glazed over as she stared into nothing. Ruffnut held her close and fell with her as she slowly slumped to her knees. "Astrid I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry" she gently whispered in her ear. She looked up to Hiccup pleadingly when Astrid didn't respond and noticed his cold expression had softened.

"Look after her Ruff..." He sighed. "...she can't dwell on this. She needs to lead the Academy and Berks defence, that's what matters"

"I will Hiccup, good luck"

He nodded at her in thanks before turning and walking up the plank, as he arrived on deck he looked to his father. "Lets go" he firmly stated.

Gobber approached Hiccup warily, he knew how much Astrid had hurt him but couldn't help feeling bad for her. "Lad...are you sure you want to leave with things like this?" He asked gesturing to the docks.

"Yes. Lets go" Hiccup finished. He walked over to Toothless who crooned sadly. "I'll be alright bud, I just need some time alone" he soothed. He gave his dragon a quick scratch behind the ears and then looked to his father with a serious expression.

Stoick nodded and turned to the crew. "CAST OFF!"

Astrid's eyes snapped to the ship as it suddenly became a bustling hive of activity. She watched in horror as the plank was raised and the sails unfurled. She heard the wooden hull creak loudly as as the ship slowly moved out of the harbour. "H-Hiccup..." She croaked, reaching out towards the ship. Ruffnut held her back as she tried to crawl forwards.

The other riders joined them and watched sadly as the ship sailed into the distance. When it was nothing more than a speck on the horizon Snotlout, Fishlegs and Tuffnut decided to leave.

Ruffnut stayed with Astrid as she stared longingly out to sea, after about half an hour she felt it was time they left as well. "Come on sister..." she whispered, lifting Astrid to her feet. She looked her best friend in the eye and flinched slightly, her eyes looked empty and the usual sparkle had disappeared. "...it's time to take you home" she sighed, guiding Astrid away from the docks and back to her house.  
-

Hiccup spent most of the week long voyage to the Bog Burglars cooped up in his cabin, only ever showing his face above deck to take Toothless on a flight so he could stretch his wings.

He felt awful about the way he left Astrid, he knew he did the right thing telling her he didn't love her anymore but should have gone about it differently. He realised that he had done to her, what she had done to him in the square by announcing it in front of everyone at the docks. He needed to apologise to her, he couldn't go back so decided to write her a letter. He was about to put charcoal to parchment when the door knocked for what he felt was the thousandth time that week.

"Hiccup?"

"Leave me alone Gobber" he answered irritably.

Gobber and his father had tried to coax him out of his cabin at least five times a day since they left. He was tired of hearing how concerned they were that he was becoming so reclusive.

"Hiccup we're almost there, come on out lad" Gobber pleaded.

"Thank Thor" he replied rolling his eyes. He stood up and blew out the candle illuminating his desk and walked to the door. As he opened it and looked to Gobber, he immediately noticed the worried look on his face.

"Are you alright lad?"

"I'm fine Gobber, really" he smiled gently at his mentor and patted him on the shoulder as he walked past. He climbed the stairs leading to the deck and was blinded by the intense sunlight, as his eyes adjusted he heard a sailor cry the two words he'd been waiting all week to hear.

"LAND HO!"

All of the shame and sadness he felt before drained away and was replaced with joy and excitement. He sprinted to the bow of the ship and jumped onto the ledge, holding on to the giant dragon figurehead for support. He couldn't help grinning from ear to ear as he spotted Bog Burglar Island in the distance. 'Cami' he thought happily.  
-

Camicazi stood alone at the docks, Bertha had sent her to greet the Berkian longship when it arrived and she jumped at the opportunity. She too was almost bursting with excitement at the thought of seeing Hiccup again, the five years they were apart felt like a lifetime and she wondered how much he'd changed.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as an image of the last time she saw him flashed before her.

He looked so frail after the battle with the Red Death and his amputation, his face was gaunt and his skin was incredibly pale. She would never forget the sounds he made, the painful groans and cries he emitted while shivering uncontrollably under a mountain of furs. She honestly thought he wouldn't survive. That image seemed to be tattooed on the inside of her eyelids and haunted her dreams for weeks after she returned. The nightmares only stopped after she received word he had made a full recovery, the relief she felt at the news was indescribable.

She wiped away a single tear that rolled down her cheek and smiled happily as the Berkian longship came into view. 'It's been too long Hiccup'  
-

As the ship got closer to the island Hiccup spotted a lone figure standing at the docks. He knew right away it was Camicazi, her long blonde hair flowing wildly in the wind was unmistakeable. It was like a beacon guiding him towards her.

His heart filled with joy and he jumped down from the ledge and ran towards his dragon. "Toothless! Come on bud! We need to get you into the hold! They can't see you...not yet anyway" He panted frantically.

Toothless looked at his best friend in confusion as he opened the large trap doors that led to the belly of the ship. He lumbered over and stared into the darkness. He looked back to Hiccup and crooned sadly.

"Come on Toothless we talked about this..." Hiccup soothed, resting a hand on his dragons head. "...you won't be down there for long, I promise"

Toothless warbled in agreement. His best friend had been so depressed lately and if being confined below deck for a while made him happy, he was willing to comply. He closed his eyes and pressed his head into Hiccups hand before descending into the hold.

"Thanks bud"

Hiccup quietly closed the trap doors after Toothless and looked to his father. He approached him slowly, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Erm...dad?"

"Aye son?"

Hiccup took a deep breath and continued. "Dad Cami's waiting for me. I know I'm your heir and have to act accordingly when we get there...you know, make a good impression and all. But as soon as we dock I'm-"

"It's okay son..." Stoick interrupted. He smiled at Hiccup warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "...Bertha's not exactly known for her welcoming committees, we are men after all..."

Hiccups eyes widened slightly. He'd completely forgotten the Bog Burglar tribe consisted almost entirely of women and most of them held a certain level of distain towards men.

Cami had told him that Bertha had tried to raise her the same way, constantly lecturing her about how inferior the opposite sex was and that she should stay away from men. But she was defiant when it came to that particular tradition, especially when it came to him and he was eternally grateful.

"...Me and Gobber will go and meet her at the Great Hall when we get there, you and Camicazi can join us after the two of you have caught up" Stoick finished.

"Wow..." Hiccup gasped. The last thing he expected was for his father to be so understanding. "...thanks dad"

"Any time son. Now go on, we're about to dock"

Hiccup turned and saw a group of sailors jumping from the ship to moor it to the docks and darted after them. As he approached the ledge he vaulted over it, landing in a crouched position between them as they secured the ship. He stood and looked around frantically but he couldn't see Camicazi. "Cami!?" He called.

Her head snapped to the left, instantly recognizing his distinct, nasally voice. "Hiccup!?" She shouted as she ran towards it.

Hiccups chest filled with elation as he heard her respond. He pushed through the group of sailors and saw her racing towards him. He smiled happily and ran to meet her.

Just as they were about to meet, they both froze and stared at each other in shock.

Camicazi looked him up and down and her mouth dropped slightly. He looked so different, this was not the Hiccup she remembered.

The first thing that surprised her was how tall he was. The last time she saw him, when he was conscious that is, they were roughly the same height. She guessed he was now at least six feet tall, a good foot taller than her.

His once shaggy, auburn mop now looked like a lion's mane that framed his face, a face that was no longer round and childish. She had to blink twice when she saw how mature he looked, his jaw was chiselled and lightly shaded with stubble. If it wasn't for the scar on his chin, she'd have a hard time believing it was actually him.

She cast her eyes down his body and her breath hitched. He was still thin compared to other Vikings but he was by no means a walking fishbone anymore. She noticed how his shoulders had broadened and his chest pushed against the leather armour he wore. He had grown into a handsome young man and she couldn't help feeling a slight attraction towards him.

Hiccup stared at her with the same slack jawed expression. She looked even more formidable than he remembered.

She wore a jet black tunic and leggings, a grey fur skirt that looked like it was made from a wolf skin. The steel pauldrons' that protected her shoulders each had two, three inch long boar tusks protruding from them. The leather gauntlets that wrapped her forearms were covered in smaller spikes he guessed were either bone or antler.

Then he noticed how many weapons she carried, she was armed to the teeth. She had two short swords crossed on her back. A thick, brown belt around her stomach that held at least a dozen, razor sharp throwing knives and two hatchets strapped to her hips. He even noticed a dagger tucked into one of her boots. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Camicazi snapped out of her trance and jumped up at him, pulling him into a warm hug that he instantly returned.

"G-Gods Cami..." Hiccup sighed shakily. "...I missed you so much"

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I missed you too"  
-

Stoick disembarked the longship with Gobber following close behind him. He looked to the two teens and couldn't stop the smile that crept onto his face as he saw them embracing and whispering to each other. He looked to Gobber and noticed he was smiling at them as well. "Come on Gobber..." He said quietly as not to disturb them. "...lets give them some privacy" Gobber nodded back and they both left to meet Bertha.  
-

"I'm so sorry I didn't come and visit you Cami. My dad told me you came to see me after the battle with the Red Death, the least I could have done was come and thank you"

The image of him after the battle flashed before her again and tears welled in her eyes. She pulled Hiccup tighter into the hug, silently thanking all the gods that they'd spared him and they were finally reunited. "I-It's okay Hiccup"

Hiccups eyes snapped open as he felt her shudder against him. He raised his hands and held her upper arms. He pushed her out of the hug gently and saw the tears in her eyes. "Cami? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

She smiled at him gently and looked down. "Nothings wrong Hiccup...it's just..." She looked back up to him and placed both of her hands on his. "...the last time I saw you I...I thought you were going to die!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Bonding

 _Hey everyone :) Again I'm sorry for the delay with the update, its not fair of me to promise you guys an update schedule that I can't achieve so going forward I'll update whenever I complete a chapter. Rest assured guy's this story is not over until you see 'The End'_  
 _Here is chapter 9. As always please enjoy and review :) Mike_  
-

"Oh Cami...please don't cry" Hiccup gasped. He raised a hand to her face and cupped her cheek, gently wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I'm so sorry you had to see me like that, I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for you. And I'm sorry I didn't come and visit you after I recovered, I should have let you know I was okay"

"I'm not upset Hiccup..." she replied reassuringly. She smiled warmly at him and pressed her cheek into his hand. "...I'm just really glad to see you" She took a step backwards and looked him up and down again, taking in all of his features. She was still finding it difficult to get her head around just how much he'd changed. "Gods Hiccup, what happened to you. I mean you look so different and...and...tall!"

"I wish I could say the same for you...!" Hiccup laughed. "...you're about the same height as the last time I saw you!"

Camicazi instantly recognised the sarcasm that laced his voice and grinned at him wickedly. "Watch it Hiccup!..." She warned as she advanced, lightly prodding him on the chest. "...I might be small but I can still kick your ass!"

"Oh I know...believe me I know, but you wouldn't do that to me would you Cami?" He he chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.

"Of course not" She sighed, pulling him into another hug. She savoured his presence for a moment and then remembered something. "So...where is it?" She asked curiously.

"Where's what?"

She looked up to him and rolled her eyes playfully when she saw his confused expression. "Your dragon stupid" She replied, shoving him back gently.

"Oh Toothless? He's in the hold..." He answered pointing to the longship. "...do you want to meet him?"

"Sure, why not"

Hiccup smiled, silently admiring her courage. Most Vikings only ever got close to dragons during raids, when adrenaline flooded their systems and erased their fear. He couldn't believe how relaxed she was at the idea of coming face to face with a dragon, especially a Night Fury under such normal circumstances. "Then lets go"

They both turned and walked along the docks towards the plank, chatting away happily. Hiccup walked up it first and when they arrived on deck he turned to face Camicazi and placed a hand on her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"What is it Hiccup?" She asked.

"Cami...before I bring Toothless out to meet you. I need you to promise me that you'll do exactly what I ask, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. I need you to trust me Cami"

Camicazi thought about what he'd just asked for a moment. There were very few people she actually trusted, so few in fact she could count them off on one hand. But Hiccup was one of them, he was honest, loyal and he'd never given her any reason not to trust him. She looked him in the eye and nodded resolutely. "I trust you Hiccup"

"Thank you Cami" He smiled at her genuinely. "The first thing I need you to do is disarm"

Camicazi's eyes widened and her confidence dropped slightly. "You're kidding me right? Hiccup he's a Night Fury, you know 'The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself'. If something goes wrong I'd like to be able to defend myself"

"Nothings going to go wrong Cami, I'll be with you the whole time" He reassured. He placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke softly. "Dragons aren't the mindless killing machines we once thought they were. They're gentle, intelligent creature's who have fears just like us. You're a stranger to Toothless and he needs to know you're not a threat. If it makes you feel any better, I'll disarm as well"

He turned and walked over to an empty crate. He un-strapped Snotlout's axe from his back and Inferno from his belt and placed them in it before gesturing her over.

Camicazi took a moment to consider what Hiccup had just said. She was incredibly nervous about getting so close to a dragon unarmed, but she figured that if he could do it, so could she. She let out a heavy breath and approached the crate. As she removed her weapons she looked to Hiccup and sighed. "I hope I won't regret this Hiccup"

"You won't Cami..." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close in an attempt to comfort her. "...I know you feel vulnerable without your weapons. And I completely understand, I had to do exactly the same when I trained him and I was terrified. Hel, the first time we met I actually fainted!" A small smile crept onto his face when he heard her giggle quietly. He broke from the hug and looked her in the eye. "I'm going to go get him, are you ready?"

"I'm ready" she answered shakily.

Hiccup nodded at her and walked towards the large trap doors that led to the hold. Just as he was about to enter, he looked back to Camicazi and smiled at her gently. When she returned it, he entered the hold and closed the doors quietly behind him.

As he descended the stairs he saw Toothless curled up asleep in the centre of the room, surrounded by three empty baskets that were once filled with fish. "Oh Gods, dads going to kill me" he muttered under his breath.

Toothless' ears shot up at the sound of his best friends voice and he raised his head to look at him.

"Bud you know all of those fish weren't for you. Is this payback for me locking you down here?" He asked incredulously.

Toothless sensed the irritation in Hiccups voice and bowed his head, crooning apologetically.

Hiccup softened immediately, he could never stay mad at his dragon for long. He crouched before him and lifted his head so they were eye to eye. "It's alright bud, I'll figure out a way of explaining this to my dad later..." He soothed as he scratched Toothless' chin. "...but first there's someone I want you to meet, someone very special to me. She's a little nervous so be nice to her okay?"

Toothless warbled in agreement and nuzzled his nose into his chest.

"Thanks bud...you're really going to like her" Hiccup smiled. He stood up and began climbing the stairs leading to the deck.

Camicazi paced back and forth, rubbing her hands together apprehensively. She felt like Hiccup had been gone for hours and secretly wondered what she was getting herself into. She froze suddenly and her eyes snapped to the hold entrance when she heard movement.

As Hiccup almost reached the top of the stairs, he turned to Toothless who followed closely behind him. "Let me go first bud, I'll call you when we're ready" When Toothless nodded in response he pushed open the trap doors and emerged on deck. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the sunlight for a moment and then looked to Camicazi. He approached her smiling warmly and stood at her side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder reassuringly.

As he held her she felt most of the nervousness she felt before drain away. What she was about to do didn't seem as daunting while he was at her side. She looked up to him with a determined expression. "Let's do this"

Hiccup nodded and looked to the hold. "Toothless!?...come on out bud" he called.

Camicazi watched in awe as Toothless emerged from the darkness and she couldn't help but admire his beauty. His large forest green eyes, lustrous jet black scales and impressive bat like wings. She suddenly snapped out of her trance as she remembered that one of the most feared dragons in the archipelago was approaching her.

Hiccup felt her press back into him and raised his hand at his dragon. "That's close enough bud"

Camicazi's mouth dropped open in shock as Toothless stopped and sat down, obeying Hiccups command. She looked up to him in disbelief, not able to get her head around what she'd just witnessed. "S-so you can control him?"

"I don't control him Cami" he chuckled. He looked to Toothless and gestured between them. "We share a bond, a friendship. He listens to me and I listen to him. Once you've earned a dragons trust, there's nothing it won't do for you" He sighed and looked down to his prosthetic.

Camicazi followed his gaze and her breath caught. Toothless purred softly she looked to him and jumped slightly as she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. She turned back to Hiccup and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Toothless couldn't save all of me, but the only reason I'm still alive is because of him" he finished.

Camicazi took a deep breath to steel herself. "Show me what to do" she said resolutely.

Hiccup nodded and and walked her towards Toothless. When they were just a few feet away from him, Hiccup gently pulled out of their embrace. He stood behind her and extended his left hand out in front of her. "Give me your hand" he asked and she took it without hesitation. He rolled his hand over hers so it sat on top and their fingers aligned.

"What now?" She whispered.

"Reach out to him" he replied, guiding her hand upwards until it was inches from Toothless' snout. "Now look away and close your eyes, give him your complete trust. When Toothless closes the distance and presses his nose into your hand, you'll have formed a bond"

She stared into Toothless' eyes and was surprised at what she saw. There was no hatred or malice like she first expected, they were calm, gentle and she didn't feel like she was in any danger at all. 'My Gods...Hiccup was right' she thought as she closed her eyes and looked away. No more than a second later her eyes snapped open again as she felt Toothless' warm scales against her hand. She turned to look at him and her heart melted as he crooned softly.

Hiccup released her and took a step back. "He likes it when you scratch him behind the ears" he advised.

She ran her hands up Toothless' head to his ears and couldn't help laughing as she noticed his back leg twitch uncontrollably when she gave them a scratch. "What else does he like?" She asked absentmindedly, too engrossed in the fact she was petting a Night Fury.

"Here..." Hiccup responded reaching for her hand.

She took it eagerly and let him guide her hand under Toothless' chin. She gave it a scratch and jumped back slightly as Toothless collapsed to the ground, purring happily. "Wow!" she gasped staring her hand. "What was that!?"

"That's his sweet spot, all dragons have one. He'll be awake again in a minute"

"Hiccup this is...this is..." She trailed off, not able find the words to describe how amazed she was.

Hiccup smiled as he recognised that familiar look of realisation. He approached Toothless as he woke up and jumped into the saddle, clicking his metal leg into place. "That isn't even the best part Cami..." he laughed looking up to the sky. He looked back to her and held out his hand. "...come on. I promise, this will be something you'll never forget"

She didn't even hesitate and grabbed his hand, pulling herself up onto the saddle behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. "Lets go!" She cried.

"Toothless! You heard the lady. Lets go!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Flying High

A/N: Hey everyone, here is chapter 10. Please let me know what you think and as always enjoy :)

-  
Toothless sensed the excitement radiating from his two riders, knowing that they wanted nothing more than for him to take off at full throttle. He remembered when Astrid rode him for the first and how scared she was when he took off at full speed. He didn't mind frightening the living daylights out of her at the time, she'd knocked his best friend to the ground and also raised her axe at himself. But he liked this new human on his back and didn't want to do that to her, she was obviously the reason why Hiccup had perked up so suddenly. He let out a low grumble to catch their attention.

Hiccup and Camicazi both snapped out of their euphoria when they heard him.

"What is it bud?" Hiccup asked curiously and Toothless gestured behind him. He looked back to Camicazi and instantly what his dragon was trying to tell him. "You're right bud, nice and slow this time okay"

"Wait..." Camicazi interrupted. "What do you mean 'this time'? What happened the last time?" She questioned.

"Well, the last time Toothless had someone new on his back, he went a little-" Hiccup zoned out and his expression turned blank as he recalled his first flight with Astrid. He didn't love her anymore but his memories of her seemed to haunt him ever since he left Berk, no matter how much he tried to push them aside. The way he left her didn't help either, he had to apologise to her and get some closure so he could move on.

Camicazi watched in concern as he stared directly ahead, looking at nothing in particular. "Hiccup?" She asked but he didn't respond. "Hiccup?" She tried again, shaking his shoulders.

"Hmm?" He replied and looked back at her with a confused expression.

"Are you okay? You were in your own little world for a moment"

"Oh...sorry about that. I'm fine Cami" He assured. He gave her a forced smile and then turned to look ahead. "Are you ready for this?"

Camicazi cocked a brow and placed her hands on her hips, not believing for a second that he was telling the truth. She wanted to question him further but there were more important things to worry about, she decided she'd ask him more about it later. "I'm ready Hiccup" she responded, once again wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on tight.

"Come on bud, nice and easy"

Toothless spread his wings and took to the air gently, hovering a few meters off the ground for a moment so his extra passenger could get used to the sensation. When he was sure she was okay he slowly climbed higher.

Camicazi looked back towards the longship and docks she stood on just moments ago as they gradually got smaller. She clenched her eyes shut and pressed her face into Hiccups back, not wanting to see how high they were actually going to go.

Hiccup felt her grip around his waist tighten and placed his arm over both of hers, holding her tightly against him. "We're almost there Cami...I got you"

"O-Okay" She stammered, her voice was muffled as she spoke into his flight suit. A few moments later she felt Toothless level out and everything seemed calm.

"Open your eyes Cami" Hiccup encouraged as they gently glided through the air.

She opened them slowly and gasped, all of the fear she felt just seconds ago drained away as she became mesmerized by the sight that lay before her. Ocean met sky in almost every direction, the clouds above her seemed so close she could almost reach out and touch them. She looked down to the ocean below her. It appeared completely still, like a giant sheet of blue ice that stretched for hundreds of miles.

Hiccup turned to face her and a warm feeling filled his chest as she admired her surroundings. He gently guided Toothless around so they were facing Bog Burglar Island and pointed to it. "Look"

Her eyes snapped to the direction he was pointing. "Oh my..." She gasped, raising a hand to her mouth as they passed over her village. She'd lived there her entire life and never imagined she'd see it from this angle. "Hiccup, this is amazing"

"And it only gets better" he chuckled reaching into Toothless' saddlebag and pulling out a fur. "Here you'll need this, its pretty cold where were going"

She looked to him slightly confused as he handed it to her. "Erm...okay. So where are we going exactly?" She asked, wrapping the fur around herself.

Hiccup shot her a mischievous smirk and gestured upward with his eyes. "We're going higher, there's something else I want to show you. But this time Toothless will going alot faster, is that alright with you?"

Camicazi closed her eyes and thought about it for a moment. She was already soaring hundreds of feet in the air and while it was scary at first, the height didn't bother her anymore. Plus she was with Hiccup, he'd made sure she was safe when introducing her to Toothless and on their ascent. She really could trust that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. With that decided, she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and returned his grin. "Of course, lets go"

Hiccup nodded at her and looked ahead. He leaned forward in the saddle and gave his dragon a gentle rub on the head. "You heard her bud, higher!"

Toothless let out an excited cry and shot upwards at full speed.

Camicazi screamed with excitement, the sudden burst of acceleration, deafening sound of the wind and adrenaline that coursed through her veins made her feel a primeval rush she'd never experienced before. She looked ahead and noticed that they were heading straight for a cloud. "Hiccup! Watch out for that..." Her eyes widened and words left her as they passed straight through it. "...cloud" she finished as they emerged on the other side. She wiped two fingers down her cheek and looked to them, puzzled that they were dripping with moisture.

"Cami we're here..."

She looked up and her mouth almost hit the floor. The view she'd seen below was undoubtedly spectacular, but this was something else. Endless blue sky lay before her, the clouds below were a brilliant white as the suns rays hit them. As her rush wore off, she shivered as she felt just how much the temperature had dropped. She wrapped the fur tighter around herself and was thankful Hiccup had the forethought to give it to her.

"...beautiful isn't it?" Hiccup sighed happily.

"Beautiful doesn't do it justice Hiccup...I could certainly get used to this"

"You could..." He shrugged turning to face her. "...if you trained a dragon of your own"

"What? You'd seriously help me get my own dragon?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course..." Hiccup chuckled. "...Cami that's one of the reasons I'm here. After I've helped you with this 'Shrieker', I'd like to stay a while and teach you and the rest of your village how to live with dragons like we do on Berk"

"Well, I'm convinced" She said, reaching down and stroking Toothless' side. "But you might find the rest of the village harder to get through to. Especially my mom, she's not one for breaking tradition. And I seriously doubt they'd pay any attention...I mean, you are a man"

"That's why I could use your help Cami"

"Me? What could I do?"

"Think about it...you're a woman and their heir, they'll listen to you. If you had a dragon of your own and we worked together, I'm sure we'd be able to convince them. What do you say?" He asked with a hopeful tone, raising his hand.

"Deal" she agreed without hesitation, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

"Oh thank Thor" Hiccup sighed with relief. He looked her in the eye and smiled genuinely. "Thank you Cami, you've no idea how much this means to me"

"Happy to help" She smiled back. She looked past Hiccup and her smile dropped slightly as she noticed the sky was dimming. She looked down to her island and let out a depressed sigh. "As much as I'd like to stay up here all day, we should head back. My mom won't be happy that I've spent so much time alone with you"

"Oh...right, I'm sorry" He cast his eyes down and shook his head, mentally chastising himself. He knew how much Bertha didn't like the idea of them being friends and now he'd probably got her into trouble.

"Hiccup don't be sorry..." She answered, freeing one of her hands from under the fur and placing it on his shoulder. "...this has been the greatest experience of my life..." When he raised his head to look at her she moved her hand to his cheek. "...thank you"

"No problem Cami" He smiled warmly at her and then turned to face forward. "Hold on tight, we're going down fast!"

Camicazi laughed and gripped Hiccups waist as Toothless entered a nose dive, his wings emitting the signature whistle usually associated with a Night Fury when it was about to strike. As they hurtled towards the earth Camicazi suddenly remembered Hiccups 'episode' earlier at the docks. She usually wasn't one to pry into other peoples business, but the way he zoned out concerned her. As much as he'd seemed his usual self while they were in the air, something was obviously on his mind and she wanted to help if she could. "Hiccup wait!" She cried over the wind.

Hiccup pulled back on the saddle, causing Toothless to splay his wings and bring them to an abrupt halt. "What? What is it?"

Camicazi scanned the ocean below them and spotted what she was looking for. "Land us on the far side of that island" She ordered while pointing to it.

"But wait, what about your mom?"

"She can wait Hiccup, this is more important"

"As you wish, come on bud!" Hiccup pushed Toothless into another dive but this time heading towards the island Camicazi had pointed to. It was relatively small and covered in dense woodland with a single mountain peak at it's centre. As they flew around to the far side Hiccup spotted a beach and guided Toothless towards it.

When they landed Camicazi jumped off Toothless and ran towards a hollow log without saying a word.

"What is this place?" Hiccup asked as he looked around and took in his surroundings. The beach was quiet and secluded, all that could be heard was the waves crashing and birds singing in the trees that surrounded it.

"This..." Camicazi responded while pulling a leather sack full of driftwood and tinder out of the log. "...is my private hide away. When I'm having a bad day or my mom's driving me insane, I sail out here to get away from it all"

"Sounds familiar" Hiccup commented as he dismounted. He turned to face her but as soon as he laid eyes on her he froze and raised his hands to his mouth.

"What?"

Hiccup tried his best but he couldn't contain his amusement any longer and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny!?" She tipped the contents out of the sack and stormed towards him, irritated that he seemed to be making fun of her.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Hiccup gasped as he backed away. He sat down in the sand and tried to catch his breath. "...it's just, your hair. It's pretty wild, even for you"

She ran her hand through her hair and cursed under her breath. The combination of moisture from the cloud and the wind while they descended had caused it to become frizzy and knotted. "Ha-Ha...very funny Hiccup" She groaned and kicked some sand at him.

"Hey!" He defended in a playful tone while shielding his face.

"Just remind me to tie it back before we go next time okay" She folded her arms and shot him a glare. In truth she saw the funny side as well but didn't want to let him off that easily.

"Alright, alright..." Hiccup climbed to his feet. He brushed the sand off himself and walked up to Toothless. "...I might have something that can help" He rummaged through his saddlebag and pulled out a leather strap. "Here"

"Thanks" She mumbled, snatching it out of his hand. She combed through her hair with her fingers as best she could and then expertly tied it into a braid, securing the end with the strap. She turned her attention back to the wood and started stacking it to make a fire. She picked up two pieces of flint and struck them together to ignite the tinder but it wouldn't catch.

"Erm Cami?" She snapped her head around and he gestured to Toothless. "Maybe we can help?"

She nodded and stepped away as the pair approached the stack.

"Do your thing bud" Hiccup encouraged and Toothless shot a controlled stream of plasma at the wood, instantly igniting the fire. Hiccup looked up to Camicazi and shifted nervously as he noticed she still didn't look very happy. "Cami I...I'm sorry for laughing at you earlier, I didn't mean to upset you"

Camicazi smiled inwardly as he apologised, now it was her turn to get back at him. "Gods Hiccup..." She giggled. "...you're too easy!"

Hiccups eyes widened slightly at her reaction. "Wait, so you're not angry with me?"

"Of course not! It'd take alot more than that for me to get mad at you. I just wanted to make you sweat that's all" she shrugged innocently.

"Well you certainly did that..." He chuckled, taking a seat close to the fire. "...for a moment there I thought you were going to kill me"

"I know, the look on your face was priceless" she agreed and they both laughed. Her elevated mood switched suddenly as she remembered exactly why she'd brought him here. "Hiccup can I ask you something?" She asked warily.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Back on the ship..." She sat down next to him and looked him in the eye. "...just before we were about to take off, something happened to you. You just...I don't know, shut down. Like nothing else in the world existed...is everything okay?"

Hiccup looked away and stared into the flames as he pictured Astrid again. The world around him seemed to go silent and all he could hear was her sobbing as she knelt at the docks.

Camicazi looked to him with concern as he zoned out again. "Hiccup?"

"Hmm?" He answered absentmindedly, casting her a quick glance.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" She asked, shuffling closer and resting her hand on his knee. She was surprised when he jumped at the contact.

"N-Nothings wrong Cami. I'm fine" He stuttered.

"Hiccup..." She sighed while shaking her head. "...Hiccup earlier you asked me to trust you and I did. Now I'm asking you to trust me. Whatever it is that's bothering you...you can tell me"

Hiccup was conflicted. On the one hand, telling her would make him feel a little better and if he got this off his chest, he'd be able to concentrate more on why he was actually here. But on the other hand, just like Astrid, he knew Camicazi would react badly if not worse when she found out what had happened. He thought about it long and hard before coming to a decision. He decided he would tell her, it wasn't fair of him to ask her to trust him and not do the same. He placed his hand on top of hers and exhaled loudly. "It all started just over a week ago..."

Camicazi listened intently as Hiccup began explaining what had happened between him and Astrid. As he went on, her anger and hatred towards Astrid grew exponentially and it took every ounce of her self control not to explode. When he finished, she had to take a moment to calm down a little.

Hiccup watched her apprehensively, she acted calm but he could tell by the murderous look in her eyes that she was seething in the inside.

"I'm going to kill her..." She whispered. "...I'm actually going to kill her this time"

"It's okay Cami-"

"Damn it Hiccup! It's not okay!" She snapped. "How many times have I told you. When someone beats you down, you don't have to lie there and take it!"

"I didn't just 'lie there and take it' Cami, that's what I feel bad about" He countered and stared back into the flames again. "I humiliated her in front of everyone at the docks, left her there a broken-hearted wreck" he looked up to Camicazi and noticed her expression had softened slightly. "What I did makes me no better than her"

"Well if you ask me she deserved it"

"Maybe she did..." He said as he poked at the embers with a stick. "...but that's not me Cami. I need to apologise, then I might be able to focus on what I came here to do"

Camicazi shifted closer and wrapped and arm around him. She didn't know anyone else who would want to apologise to someone who had caused them so much pain, but Hiccup wasn't a normal Viking. Being vengeful and vindictive was completely against his nature. If anything she was relieved that underneath this new, taller, grown-up exterior remained the kind, caring and sarcastic Hiccup she had befriended all of those years ago. "You do whatever you think is right Hiccup, I'll support you either way"

"Thanks Cami" He looked up to the sky and saw that it was getting dark. "Come on, we better head back"

"You're right, mom's probably burst a blood vessel by now" Camicazi rose to her feet and kicked sand over the fire to extinguish it.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and held out his hand to help her up.

Camicazi rolled her eyes at him and swatted it away. "I got it Hiccup" she said as she hoisted herself up and onto the saddle behind him, shooting him a triumphant look.

"Yes ma'am" he saluted before turning to look ahead. "Come on bud, back to the ship" and with that Toothless shot into the air and headed straight for Bog Burglar Island.

As Hiccup landed Toothless on the deck of the longship, Camicazi was surprised that there was no one there waiting for her. "Huh, that's strange" she dismounted Toothless and looked around in confusion.

"What is?"

She turned to face Hiccup as he ushered Toothless back into the hold and closed the doors. "I just thought that my mom would send someone to look for me"

"She did" A gruff feminine voice spoke from the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Meeting Bertha

 _ **A/N:**_ _Hey everyone :) I hope you all had a good Easter (If you celebrate it)_

 _I've had a bit of time off recently so here is chapter 11, it's a little longer than my previous chapters but Bertha will become a pivotal character in this story and I didn't want to leave anything out. As always please enjoy and please review. Mike_

-  
"Ahh!" Hiccup and Camicazi jumped in surprise as they were caught off guard. They turned their attention to the source of the voice and watched apprehensively as the sound of footsteps drew nearer.

Camicazi breathed a sigh of as she recognised the burly, raven haired woman with a hammer for a hand that emerged from the darkness. "It's alright Hiccup, it's just my aunt" she assured as she approached her. "God's Ragna, you scared the crap out of us"

"Glad to hear it" Ragna chuckled as she pulled her niece into a loving hug.

Camicazi smiled happily in her embrace. Unlike her mother and the rest of her tribe, Ragna didn't disapprove of her close friendship with Hiccup. If anything she encouraged Camicazi to be open-minded and not bound by tradition. She herself was married and had two children. A Bog Burglar getting married was not unheard of but for doing so she was somewhat treated like an outcast, forced to live in the outskirts of the village with the few men that lived there and work hard to maintain the tribes upkeep. Others would have been banished but her saving grace was that Bertha deeply respected her sister's advice when it came to matters of diplomacy or warfare.

As Ragna looked to Hiccup, her smile fell and expression turned serious. She pushed Camicazi out of the hug gently and locked eyes with her. "What are you playing at Cami? You were just supposed to greet the ship and bring the Berkians to the Great Hall, not run off for hours with the lad!" she scolded, gesturing at Hiccup with her hammer.

Hiccup listened as the woman reprimanded Camicazi and started to feel guilty. He couldn't let her take the blame for a problem that he'd caused so he stepped forward. "Actually ma'am, it's my fault Cami was gone for so long. I asked her to go on a flight with me and my dragon and I lost track of time, it won't happen again"

Ragna regarded him suspiciously as he approached and stood at her niece's side. "Forgive me lad but I don't believe we've met"

Camicazi smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder as she introduced them. "Ragna this is Hiccup Haddock, son of Stoick the Vast and heir to the Hooligan Tribe of Berk. Hiccup this is my Aunt Ragna, she's the village blacksmith"

"Nice to meet you Ragna" Hiccup responded, raising his hand out to her.

Ragna took his hand and shook it firmly. "Likewise Master Haddock"

"Please, call me Hiccup" he smiled.

Ragna nodded and released his hand. "Cami's told me alot about you Hiccup"

"She has?"

Camicazi's eyes widened and lips pursed as Hiccup looked to her with a stunned expression. She'd told her aunt about him many times, so many times it was almost embarrassing. Whenever she returned from Berk, she couldn't tell her mother about all the fun her and Hiccup had together. Or how much she worried about his beatings so she confided in her aunt instead.

Ragna noticed Camicazi shift uncomfortably and smiled slightly. She loved nothing more than embarrassing her niece but on this occasion decided to show mercy. "Aye, but that's a tale for another time. Right now you need to go to the Great Hall. Gobber's waiting for you at the village entrance, he'll take you there. In the meantime, Cami and I need to have a little chat"

"Of course" Hiccup conceded, still a little confused. He itched to know what Ragna was talking about but now wasn't the time, he had a job to do and knew Bertha would be a tough nut to crack when he presented his plan. He'd need to call on all of his fathers training if he was to have any chance of success. "Will I see you at the Hall?" He asked Camicazi.

"I'll be there as soon as I can..." she replied with a smile.

As Camicazi spoke, Ragna caught a slight glimmer of something in her eyes she thought she'd never see, affection.

"...Good luck with my mom"

Hiccup nodded at her in thanks, collected his weapons from the crate and disembarked the longship.

When she was sure he was out of earshot Camicazi rounded on her aunt with a scowl. "Can we make this quick? Mom will tear him apart before he's had a chance to speak!"

"Take a seat Cami..." Ragna replied casually, ignoring the desperation in her niece's voice. She approached a barrel and tapped the top encouragingly with her good hand. "...look at the state of you. You need to look presentable before seeing your mother"

Camicazi grunted in frustration, knowing she had no choice she walked up to the barrel and sat on it with her back to her aunt. After a couple of seconds she spoke softly. "How mad is she?"

"Don't worry, Bertha didn't send me...Gobber did"

"He did?" She asked incredulously.

"Aye, Stoick knows his son Cami. He knew that after all these years the two of you needed time to get reacquainted. He's been trying his best to prolong the tour of the island, but none of us expected you to be gone this long. That's why Gobber asked me to find you"

"Wow, I'll have to thank Stoick. Maybe return his underwear" she chuckled.

Ragna smiled while detaching her hammer and hooked it onto her belt, replacing it with a wooden comb attachment. She removed the leather strap securing Camicazi's braid and gently ran her fingers through it until her hair flowed freely. "So...Hiccup" Ragna began as she slowly worked the comb from root to tip, taking care not to pull on any knots along the way.

"What about him?" Camicazi replied, relaxing more with each stroke.

"He's a strange boy"

"Want do you mean by that?" Camicazi's scowl returned and she turned her head to glare at her aunt.

Ragna turned Camicazi's head away and grinned devilishly, happy that she was able to trigger such a response. "He's different...not like most men, I mean the way he took all the blame for what happened this afternoon. Very chivalrous"

"Your right. He's not like most men, I don't know anyone else like him..."

Ragna cocked a brow and listened intently as Camicazi opened up.

"...he's kind, gentle, funny, ambitious. When he introduced me to Toothless...he's a Night Fury by the way, he made me feel completely safe"

"And he's handsome too" Ragna suggested as she finished combing her hair.

"Yeah he...wait!" As she realised what she was about to say, her eyes snapped open and she slid off the barrel. "What are you getting at Ragna!" She demanded.

"Oh nothing..." Ragna shrugged innocently. "...you just confirmed what I suspected, that's all"

"And what's that exactly?" Camicazi countered, crossing her arms defiantly.

"That you like the boy" Ragna grinned, shooting her niece a wink.

"N-no I don't..." She denied, looking away as she felt her cheek's get hotter. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and when she was sure her blush had subsided, looked back to face her aunt with a determined expression. "...and even if I did it wouldn't matter. I..." She paused. "...I'm a Bog Burglar and always will be. Besides, he's still reeling from his break up with Astrid"

"Cami -"

"End of conversation" Camicazi finished, drawing a line with her hands. She too collected her weapons and went to leave the ship but as she approached the plank she glanced back to her aunt. "Look...I know you mean well, but this is how it has to be. Can't disappoint Mom right?" she sighed bitterly and walked away.

Ragna looked down and shook her head sadly. She knew Camicazi didn't like the Bog Burglar lifestyle and seeing how she was with Hiccup earlier gave her hope she'd be happy one day. She just needed to get her to look past all the ridiculous 'traditions' Bertha had engrained in her since she was a child. With that thought in mind she followed Camicazi back to the village.  
-

Hiccup slowly approached the entrance to Bog Burglar Village. He'd spotted Gobber waiting for him from a distance and even though he had his back to him, he could tell his mentor wasn't happy.

"Hey Gobber" Hiccup greeted gingerly.

Gobber spun around to face him. "Odin's beard Hiccup it's about time. Where have you been?" He wanted to shout but kept his voice low as not to draw attention.

"Well I -"

"Never mind that..." Gobber cut him off, waving his hook and turning to head into the village. "...we have to get to the Great Hall as soon as possible. Your father's putting his neck on the line trying to make sure you and Camicazi don't get caught"

Hiccup followed close behind Gobber in silence, trying to ignore the disapproving looks the few villagers that weren't already at the Great Hall shot at him as they passed. He tried to distract himself by noting how different Bog Burglar Village was from Berk.

A thick mist that drifted in from the surrounding bogs and marshes hung over the village, the air was thick and smelt earthy and damp. Their huts were sparsely scattered, situated on areas of high ground connected by wooden walkways in case it rained and the swamps flooded. They were built differently too, circular wooden structures with cone shaped roofs decorated with dragon skull trophies. A harsh reminder of a time when it was kill or be killed between Vikings and Dragons.

As they ventured deeper into the village, Gobber stopped and looked back at his apprentice. "You haven't met Bertha before have you?" He asked, trying to start a conversation.

"No...but if what I've heard about her is true, I should be scared"

"Aye..." Gobber chuckled. "...she's a scary woman, much like her daughter. But you'll be alright lad, as long as you don't stare"

"Stare at what?"

"Believe me Hiccup, you'll know as soon as you see her" He winked and then carried on walking, leaving Hiccup even more bewildered.

A short time later they arrived at a bridge that spanned a large area of wetland, torches lined both sides lighting the way but they couldn't see the other side through the mist. Just as they were about to cross, the sound of doors flying open behind them caught their attention.

"I think you've seen everything now Stoick, it's time we looked at the treaty!" A female voice bellowed.

Stoick exited the storehouse first. He caught sight of Hiccup and sighed, relieved that his son was finally back. He'd dragged the tour of the island out for too long and was sure Bertha was getting suspicious. "Aye Bertha, let's get to it"

Hiccup took a deep breath to calm his nerves as Bertha emerged shortly after his father. She was a mountain of a woman, matching Stoick in both height and girth. But that wasn't what shocked him the most, her breasts were enormous. He'd heard men back on Berk refer to her as 'Big-Boobied Bertha', heard tales about how her breasts had killed men in battle. At the time he didn't pay any attention, assuming they were just stories that became more exaggerated each time they were told.

Gobber noticed Hiccup was staring and elbowed him subtly.

Hiccup snapped out of it and rubbed his eyes in disbelief, averting his gaze to the more innocent aspects of her appearance. She had long blonde hair just like Camicazi, but hers was tied into two braids that hung over each shoulder. She wore a steel helmet adorned with ram horns, armour made from thick brown leather and chain mail, a black bearskin cloak and a war hammer on her belt that would put Mjolnir to shame.

"So..." Bertha approached Hiccup with her hands on her hips, looking him up and down. "...this is the famous 'Dragon Trainer' that's going to solve all our problems. I have to admit..." She looked to Stoick unimpressed and shrugged. "...he doesn't look like much"

"Looks can be deceiving Bertha..." Stoick defended, not at all liking the way she talked about his son. "...there's no one in the archipelago better suited to this mission than Hiccup"

"Hm, we'll see about that. But before we go any further..." She turned and approached Hiccup, looming over him and glaring intensely. "...WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER BOY!"

Hiccup flinched as Bertha's voice made his ears ring. He gulped audibly and stuttered. "She's erm..."

"I'm right here Mom, calm down!"

The Bertha, Stoick and Gobber turned in unison as Camicazi approached from behind with Ragna in tow.

"Where have you been girl!?" Bertha demanded, pointing a meaty finger at her daughter.

"What does it matter, I'm here now aren't I?" Camicazi responded flatly, pushing past her mother and walking to Hiccup. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the save" he breathed, flashing her a quick smile.

"Any time" she smiled back.

Bertha snorted, fed up of her daughters constant defiance. She stomped towards the bridge and locked eyes with Camicazi. "We'll talk about this later"

"So will we" Stoick warned Hiccup as he, Gobber and Ragna followed the Bog Burglar chieftess.

"I'm sorry Cami, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have introduced you to Toothless until after the meeting" Hiccup apologised and looked to his feet.

"It's my fault too Hiccup..." She lifted his chin so he was looking at her and smiled reassuringly. "...if I didn't ask you to go to my island, we would have been back alot earlier"

"CAMI!" Bertha screamed.

The two teens looked down the bridge and saw that all four adults had stopped and were watching them closely.

"Come on, lets get this over with" Camicazi sighed.

As the group crossed the bridge, Hiccup and Camicazi trailed a short distance behind the adults. "Hey, are you okay?" Hiccup asked quietly, even after what had just happened Camicazi seemed uncharacteristically quiet.

"I'm fine Hiccup..." She lied, still mulling over her feelings which she almost let slip to her aunt earlier. "...just focus on what you need to do alright" She noticed Hiccup stop momentarily as her words came out harsher than intended.

"O-Okay" he replied in a hushed voice, he couldn't help thinking she resented him more for getting them in trouble than she let on.

Camicazi cast him a quick glance and noticed he looked a little stung. 'Shit' she thought. The last thing he needed was a dent in his confidence. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but with them almost at the Great Hall and her mother right in front of them, she couldn't.

Hiccup carried on and soon a large building came into view that was clearly the Great Hall. It was round like the villagers huts but instead of wood, it was made of stone. Smoke billowed from a single opening in the roof and the smell of freshly cooked meat wafted through the air. As he neared the building, the sound of the villagers that were already there grew louder.

Bertha flung the doors open and suddenly the Great Hall fell silent. "Ragna, Cami, come!" she commanded and stormed inside.

As her mother and aunt walked away, Camicazi took this chance to apologise. "Hiccup I'm-"

"NOW CAMI!"

Camicazi sighed sadly and took off after them.

Bertha took her seat at the head of the Chiefs table in front of the main hearth. Camicazi sat on her right and Ragna to her left.

Stoick looked to Hiccup and gripped his shoulder encouragingly "This is where we part ways Son, the rest you have to do alone"

"Good luck Lad" Gobber smiled, patting him on the back and ushering him forward.

Hiccup looked into the Great Hall apprehensively. He took a deep breath to steel himself, stood up straight and entered. All eyes were on him as he walked towards the Chiefs table and stood before Bertha.

"So...Master Haddock..." Bertha spat, sinking her teeth into a leg of mutton. "...how exactly do you intend to help us with our dragon problem?"

"Well ma'am I-"

"MA'AM!..." She cried, slamming the mutton leg down. "...I'm no ma'am Boy! Call me Bertha, ONLY Bertha" she emphasised referring to her moniker. She noticed Hiccup shift uncomfortably and pounced. "You need the outhouse Boy!? You look like you've soiled yourself!"

The entire hall, excluding Camicazi and Ragna burst into laughter.

As the laughing and sniggering droned on for what seemed like forever, Hiccup looked up at Camicazi. She wore a pained expression and silently mouthed 'sorry' while shaking her head. He merely nodded in response but as he did, just like in the square back on Berk, something inside him switched. When the laughter finally stopped, he looked Bertha dead in the eye.

Camicazi's eyes widened slightly and she started to worry, the fiery look in Hiccups eyes was one she'd never seen and made her fear he was about to say something stupid.

"Alright Bertha. While we're on the subject of names, you will call me Hiccup. Not Master Haddock and not Boy" He spoke clearly.

Whispers started echoing around the Great Hall, the villagers hadn't witnessed anyone talk to their chief with such authority. Especially a man.

Bertha cocked a brow at his sudden change in demeanor, the way he'd suddenly found his spine was admirable and her respect for him grew slightly. "Alright Hiccup..." She conceded, leaning forward and clasping her hands on the table. "...answer my first question. How do you intend to help us?"

"First I need more information on this dragon. I know from your message that it's fast but do you have anything else that I could use?" Hiccup asked, happy that she was just talking to him and not shouting.

"Nothing really, a couple of days ago a peat gatherer claimed to have seen it in the swamps. But we dismissed it when he started babbling about how the dragon 'controlled the wind and summoned a cyclone'. No dragon can-"

"Hold on a minute..." Hiccup interrupted, pulling the miniature Book of Dragons from his belt and flicking through it. He remembered reading briefly about a dragon able to harness the power of the wind but there wasn't alot of information on it. A couple of pages after the Night Fury section he found what he was looking for. There was no picture or information on its size and speed. Only a name, very brief description and a warning. "...did the peat gatherer notice anything unusual about the way it looked? It's scales specifically?"

"Erm...yes, but it had no scales. He said it was covered in grey plates, like armour" Bertha responded.

"I think it's a Wind Stalker..." Hiccup announced, approaching the table and placing the book on it so they could all see. "...vey rare, very territorial and very dangerous. According to the book, it forms a wall of wind around itself as a defence mechanism. That might be the cyclone your peat gatherer was talking about"

Bertha examined the almost empty page, stunned that he could make the deduction with such limited information. She passed the book to Camicazi who immediately became engrossed before looking back to him expectantly. "So...what do you intend to do?" She asked again.

"Take me to where this sighting was, hopefully Toothless and I can find something that will help us track it. After that I don't know, like I said I've never seen one before. We'll just have to see what happens"

"Very well Hiccup, do what needs to be done..." Bertha rose from her seat and pointed to the doors. "...Now go!"

"Actually before I get to work..." He started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "...there's a couple of things I wanted to ask of you"

"So your aid comes with conditions! I should have known!" Bertha growled, slumping back into her seat.

"Not conditions, requests. I'll help you with this dragon either way"

"Go on" she groaned, rubbing her temples in despair.

"With your permission and Cami's help, I'd like to stay here for a while and share my knowledge of dragons with you. Teach you and your people how to live with them, just like we do on Berk"

"And why would we want that Hiccup?"

"Me and Toothless can demonstrate tomorrow how much living with them would make your day to day lives easier. They can help defend your island, tow your ships out to open water faster, haul in your fishing nets, even help with construction. The possibilities are endless, me and Toothless can do a demonstration tomorrow" he explained and Bertha turned to her sister.

"I think it's worth a shot, I've heard Berk has prospered greatly since they integrated dragon's into the tribe. Also you know how many ships we've lost to bandits recently, if we had dragons we could secure the trade routes" Ragna whispered.

"Okay Hiccup, you have my attention..." Bertha admitted. "...how long would you need?"

Hiccup thought about it for a moment. "Eight months to a year?" He overestimated just to be safe.

"That seems like an awful long time, why would you need that long?"

"That brings me to my second request..." He broke eye contact and Bertha followed his gaze. "...Cami?"

Camicazi didn't respond, too busy reading through the Book of Dragons. With the thought of having a dragon of her own, she searched the pages thoroughly for one that best suited her. So far the only contenders being a Skrill, Changewing or a Deadly Nadder.

"Cami?" Hiccup repeated a little louder.

"What?" She looked up to him perplexed.

"Will you train me to fight?" He asked in a hopeful tone and once again the Great Hall erupted in laughter.

Camicazi shot to her feet, fists clenched and shaking with anger. "QUIET!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, immediately silencing everyone. "You all laugh at him, but not one of you has volunteered to train with me! You call yourself Bog Burglars?! HE has more courage than the lot of you" She scanned the faces of her people as they mumbled between themselves and started to calm down. "We start first thing tomorrow Hiccup"

"Thank you" He responded as she sat down again.

"So..." Bertha leaned forward, resting her arms on the table and clasping her hands together. "...This is how I see things Hiccup. Tomorrow you'll introduce us to your dragon. Then you will help us get rid this 'Wind Stalker' as you put it. After that I'll give you a year to integrate dragons into my tribe, with my daughters help. You'll stay in a hut on the outskirts with the other men, we'll have one ready for you by the time your father leaves. But not for free after you've dealt with the Shrieker, do you have any skill's?"

"Well, I apprenticed as a blacksmith back on Berk" He shrugged.

"I'll take him on..." Ragna cut in. "...I could use an extra pair of hands around the forge"

"Done..." Bertha nodded at her before continuing. "...Cami will train you once a day while you stay with us, if you last that long" she chuckled.

"Mom!" Camicazi hissed in his defence but it fell deaf ears.

"Do we have a deal?" Bertha rose from her seat and extended a hand towards him.

"Deal" He gripped her hand and shook it.

Bertha released quickly and pointed back to the doors. "Now go!"

Hiccup courteously thanked all thee women for their time and left the Great Hall. As the doors closed behind him on his way out he was met by his father and Gobber who looked concerned.

"How'd it go in there Son? We heard laughter and started to worry" Stoick questioned frantically.

"It started off bad. But after that it went rather well, Bertha agreed to everything. Me staying, integrating the dragons and my training" Hiccup counted off his fingers.

Stoick looked at Gobber dumbfounded. He was convinced that after Hiccup and Camicazi's disappearing act earlier, Bertha wouldn't grant him anything more than what had already been agreed. He once again found himself bursting with pride, he was beginning to think there was nothing his son couldn't accomplish. But he was still his father and couldn't let his son get away with everything. He cleared his throat spoke sternly. "Now Son, about earlier"

"Dad, could we please talk about this tomorrow?..." Hiccup begged. "...My training with Cami starts first thing in the morning and I'll need all the rest I can get "

"Ah come on Stoick, you have to admit the lads just been through alot. Besides, I'm sure the lass will give him a good thrashing on your behalf!" Gobber laughed.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and groaned sarcastically. "Thank you Gobber for your...undying support"

"Alright fine..." Stoick caved. "...will you be sleeping with us and the rest of the men?"

"No, I'll sleep on the ship. Toothless needs the company. Goodnight" he yawned and crossed the bridge back into the village. When he was sure he was out of sight he let out a relieved sigh. In truth the last thing on his mind was sleep and doubted he could even if he wanted to. If he was to have any chance of fulfilling his agreement with Bertha, there was something he had to do first.

He reached the longship around half an hour later. After greeting and feeding Toothless found himself back in his cabin, staring at a blank piece of parchment on his desk. After some careful thought, he put charcoal to the parchment and began writing his letter to Astrid.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Secrets

 _ **A/N**_ _: Hey everyone :) I can't thank everybody enough for the support I've received with this story. This is another chapter I had a little trouble writing. I hate it how writers block stumps you for days and then suddenly everything flows and you think. 'Why didn't I think of that earlier!' Anyways, here is Chapter 12. As always please enjoy and review. Mike._  
-

Early the following morning, a good hour before the sun would crest the horizon, Camicazi crept aboard the Berkian longship with a torch to light her way. It was time for training but after checking the barn that housed Stoick's men and finding Hiccup wasn't there, she knew this was the only place he could be. She hadn't planned to start her day this early, but the confrontation between her and Bertha the previous night had been explosive to say the least and she needed to get out of the house.

She silently ventured below deck to the living quarters, gently pushing open the door to each cabin in search of him. As she poked her head into the room furthest along the corridor, she caught a glimpse of a Night Fury sketch on a desk knew that this was his cabin.

"Hiccup?" she whispered but was surprised to find the bed empty.

She couldn't help looking around the room in awe, the walls were covered in complicated schematics she assumed were idea's for new inventions. Two drawings in particular caught her eye.

One was a front and side profile of a set of armour similar to what he wore now, only the wrists and ankles were connected by what looked like wings and a large fin stuck out the back. The other a full face helmet, half metal and half leather with horn-like protrusions similar to Toothless' running from between the eyes to the back of the head. 'What is this?' She thought.

She jumped suddenly when she heard movement below and quickly turned to leave the room but as she reached the door, something else caught her attention. There was a scroll on his desk, sealed with red wax stamped with the Berk Crest. She had an idea what it was, but wouldn't betray Hiccups trust by snooping any further.  
-

Toothless stirred in his sleep, ears perking up and twitching as he picked up the faint creak of the hold doors as they opened. A soft orange glow started to fill the room and he let out a low growl in warning. When he realised it was Camicazi walking down the stairs he immediately relaxed.

"Morning Toothless..." She greeted quietly, slowly approaching the Night Fury curled up on the floor. She looked around the room and spotted Hiccup's armour and weapons lying on top of a crate but he was nowhere to be seen. "...Toothless? Where's Hiccup?" She whispered, giving his ears a scratch.

Toothless looked to his wing and lifted it slowly, revealing his best friend sound asleep and resting against him.

Camicazi crouched before him and her heart melted. He looked so peaceful, then again who wouldn't when the Archipelago's most feared dragon watched over you while you slept. "Hiccup?" She tried to wake him but he didn't respond. "Hiccup?" She tried again, this time a little louder and shaking his shoulder.

"Cami?" He croaked, raising a hand and rubbing the sleep out of his eye.

"Hey..." She spoke softly and with a smile. "...it's time to start your training. Come on"

He lazily looked to one of the open hatches and saw it was still dark outside. "The sun's not even up yet...give me another hour" He'd hardly slept a wink. Writing the letter to Astrid had been more difficult than he thought. It took many failed attempts for him to properly transfer how he felt about their situation from mind to parchment.

Camicazi watched him close his eye's and let out an annoyed sigh. She looked around the room and grinned devilishly as an evil thought popped into her head. "No problem Hiccup, I'll be back in an hour"

"Hmm" He mumbled as he drifted off again.

Suddenly, Toothless bolted out from underneath him and he fell backwards with a thud. "Ouch!...What the!?...ARGHH!" He cried as cold drenched him, biting at his skin like a thousand knives all hitting at once. He scrambled to his feet as fast as he could and stared at Camicazi who was holding a bucket and giggling uncontrollably.

A smirk crept on to his face after he recovered from the initial shock, this was the second time she'd pranked him but this time he wouldn't let her get away with it.

"I did say...first thing..." she gasped breathlessly and Toothless warbled a laugh at his expense "See!? Even he agrees with me!" She exclaimed while pointing at his dragon. Her smile fell quickly though when she saw him walking towards her, a wicked look in his eyes and arms open invitingly. "Hiccup! Don't even think about it!"

He ignored her warning and his grin became even more menacing as he closed the distance between them.

"Hiccup..." She dropped the bucket and raised her arms in defence. "...don't you dare-AHHH!" She squealed as he grabbed her, lifting her off her feet as she kicked and screamed. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance!" Hiccup joked, rubbing his sodden hair against her cheeks for good measure.

"AHH...Stop it! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She giggled, trying to escape his grasp as the moisture from his clothes seeped into hers.

He finally dropped her and stepped away but she pulled him back so his forehead rested against hers. "You're such a dork...you know that right?"

"Yeah I know"

In that moment all of their troubles seemed to drain away. No overbearing parents nagging them constantly, no Chief-in-training duties that needed to be carried out, just the two of them having fun.

"I'll get you back for that" Camicazi threatened jokingly and pushed him back a few paces.

"You started it!" he defended, walking to the far side of the room and instinctively reaching for the hem of his tunic.

Camicazi's breath caught as he peeled it off without warning. 'Wow' she thought, unable to stop her eye's from wandering over his physique. She admired the lean muscles of his shoulders and upper back, clearly defined under lightly freckled skin that glistened in the torchlight. Her gaze trailed south and she swallowed thickly, following the gentle curve of his spine to the small of his back and...

"So what do you have planned for training?" He asked absentmindedly, oblivious of how he was affecting her.

She closed her eyes as he bent over and searched through a chest. 'Focus Cami, Focus! It's just Hiccup. It's just Hiccup' she repeated in her mind but couldn't resist another peek, her focus resting square on his ass. 'Oh God's, what's happening to to me?'

Hiccup pulled out a fur to dry himself and a fresh set of clothes. He glanced back at her quickly and raised a brow as she snapped her eyes back up to his. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah,I'm fine...just a bit chilly that's all" she lied, rubbing her arms up and down in an attempt to look like she was cold.

"Here..." He tossed her the fur and took out another before walking behind a stack of crates for some privacy.

'Thank Thor' Camicazi let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding and stood silently for a moment, trying to comprehend exactly what had just happened to her.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question!" He called snapping her out of her reverie.

She fumbled with the fur he'd given her awkwardly and wrapped it around herself quickly. "R-Really?" She asked, blinking twice as her thoughts came crashing back to earth. "Sorry...what was it again!?"

"Training..." He reappeared now fully clothed and grabbed his flight suit. "...what do you have planned?"

"A couple of things, but I've not trained with anyone for years. Once I've put you through your paces and had a chance to see your strengths and weaknesses, well go from there" she shrugged innocently.

"Fair enough..." Hiccup fastened the final buckle on his gauntlets and walked up to her. "...I'm ready when you are"

"Then let's go" she nodded and they turned towards the stairs. When they were about half way up Toothless snorted irritably and they looked back to him.

Hiccup walked back down placed his hand soothingly on Toothless' head. "I'm sorry Bud, but you can't come out yet. Me and Cami will be back later and we'll introduce you to the villagers, after that I promise you won't be cooped up in here again -"

"Actually..." Camicazi interrupted and he looked back to her. "...he could come with us. We don't have to go through the village to get to my training area. Besides, he might find it entertaining watching you get your ass kicked" she said with a snigger.

"What do you say Bud? You want to watch me train?" He said in a cheerful tone.

Toothless jumped excitedly around the longship, causing it to rock violently like it was caught in a storm. Barrels that weren't fixed down fell from where they were stored and rolled across the floor in all directions.

"That's enough Bud!" Hiccup groaned in annoyance and slapped a hand to his face. As he felt the ship still, he looked between his fingers and jumped slightly. The look on dragons face as he wagged his tail happily was one that was all too familiar. He tried to raise his hands but he wasn't fast enough. "ARGH!"

Toothless leapt on his best friend, knocking him to the ground and licking his face sloppily.

Camicazi was in stitches again as she watched the events that unfolded below her. "What's this Hiccup!? Brotherly love!?"

"Don't encourage him Cami!" He protested as his dragon lapped at his face eagerly. Hiccup eventually managed to push Toothless away. He stood up and held his arms out to the sides as the dragon saliva dropped off him. "...come on Bud. You know that doesn't wash out!" he complained.

Toothless warbled another laugh and Hiccup flicked some of it back in his face, making Camicazi laugh so hard her sides started to hurt hurt.

"Huh, so you think that's funny? You know there's plenty of dragon spit to go around"

"Eww...no thanks. That's disgusting" she cringed.

"Ah it's not so bad..." He sniffed while wiping his forehead. "...does wonders for my complexion"

"Yeah I'll bet. Come on, we need to get going"

As the three of them disembarked the longship the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, basking them in a pleasant warmth that took the edge off the crisp morning air.

Camicazi led them along a trail that led around the village. At first everything was normal, they joked around and reminisced about all the good times they'd had together. But the further they went, the more closed off Camicazi became.

Hiccup looked to her with concern as they passed through a forest, she was completely silent now. He shot a look back to Toothless who just shook his head in response, he too looked a little worried. Hiccup thought back to last night and remembered the way she'd snapped at him on the bridge. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, slapping himself mentally as he realised the way she was acting was probably his fault. "Hey Cami? H-How'd things go with your mom last night?" He asked warily.

"Not good..." She replied flatly and her voice grew a little quieter. "...but I've had worse. Ragna told her what you said on the ship, that you took responsibility for everything. That calmed her down a bit"

"Okay" He could tell she wasn't telling the truth, but it was clearly a touchy subject and didn't want to press her about it so decided to try and cheer her up instead. "Well if it makes you feel any better. I think my dad's expecting you to carry out my punishment on his behalf" he said sarcastically and was relieved to see the corner of her mouth creep up.

"Oh don't you worry Hiccup, I'll make sure you receive the proper punishment" She laughed half-heartedly and elbowed his side. 'Especially after your little 'show' earlier'. That thought was a mistake and she shook her head to dispel that image as it flashed before her.

Hiccup caught her little fluster but just as he was about to speak...

"We're here!" Camicazi gasped with relief as they arrived at a clearing that backed onto a huge area of swampland. A combat ring laid at it's centre, wooden beams stuck out of the ground in a square formation on the left and there was a storehouse on the right. She ran straight for the storehouse and un-latched the doors before entering.

Hiccup followed her inside and gulped nervously as he looked around. He studied the weapon racks on the right. Sword's, axe's, mace's and hammer's. Then the racks on the left. Spears, bolas, throwing knives and bows. Targets and practice dummies stood up at the back.

"So...what's first?" he tried to ask enthusiastically but failed, secretly wondering what he'd let himself in for.

"First..." She walked past him carrying a target. "...you're going to run The Gauntlet" Her mind was a mess and she needed some time to herself, and to let out some pent-up frustration. "You see that tree?" She stood the target up at the edge of the ring and pointed out into the swamp.

Hiccup looked to where she was pointing and spotted it. It sat alone on top of a steep hill about a mile away, scorched and split half way down the middle. "Yeah I see it, the one that's been struck by lightning?"

"That's the one" She confirmed, walking over to a mud bank and pointing to the ground. "Start here. Wade through the water until you reach the razor grass, navigate that, climb the hill and touch the tree. Then make your way back. I'll be timing you so try and complete the course as fast as you can" She instructed and then looked Toothless. "You go with him boy. Make sure he doesn't slow down okay..." She went to look away but immediately snapped her eyes back to the dragon. "...and no helping him"

Toothless looked at her incredulously, raising a brow like he was shocked she'd even suggest such a thing.

"Wait, I thought we were going to train together?" Hiccup asked.

"We will once you get back, I need time to set everything up" she responded hesitantly and walked over to a sundial she'd use to time herself. "You ready?"

"Sure" he replied and looked out into the swamp, brows furrowing slightly. He knew there was something wrong by the way she acted earlier, but if she needed space he was willing to give it to her.

"GO!" she commanded, marking the sundial with a piece of chalk where the shadow was positioned.

Toothless grunted encouragingly and slapped Hiccups back with his tail, taking him by surprise and making him fall head first into the water.

He surfaced a couple of seconds later and spluttered. "Aww...c-come on B-Bud!" He shot daggers at his dragon who merely warbled in amusement and splashed some water back at his face.

Camicazi smiled gently as she watched them get further away, admiring the close bond they shared. But then her smile fell and she turned towards the storehouse. She fetched four more targets and set them up around the ring with varying distances between them and walked to the centre. She took a knife from her belt before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, listing off everything that was driving her crazy.

Her mother: The showdown between her and her mother last night had been one of 'those'. Over the years she'd grown used to the harsh words her mother would usually throw at her whenever she was in trouble. 'DISAPPOINTING' 'EMBARRASSMENT' 'SHAMEFUL'. But sometimes, when Bertha was really angry, she'd deal a blow that struck right at Camicazi's heart. It was something she'd kept a secret for as long she could remember, a secret only known by Ragna and herself. It was 'the' reason why Bertha was as bitter as she was. The routine was always the same. Her mother would cross the line, she'd run to her room and cry herself to sleep, her mother would apologise in the morning.

"Hyahh!" She grunted angrily and hurled the knife at the target in front, scoring a perfect bullseye.

Astrid: After what Hiccup had told her, after hearing everything she'd put him through, the first thing Camicazi wanted to do when she got her own dragon was fly to Berk and rip Astrid's throat out.

"BITCH!" She screamed, throwing another knife and imagining Astrid's head was the target.

Hiccup: They'd been reunited for less than a day but to her it was like they were never separated. In that small amount of time, he'd comforted, reassured and made her laugh more than anyone had her entire life. He'd shown her what dragons really were, that riding them opened up a new world that was full of possibilities. How was it possible that spending so little time with him made her begin to question everything her mother had tried to drill into her? 'ALL MEN ARE THE SAME' 'DIRTY HEATHENS' 'ONLY AFTER ONE THING'

"Hyahh!" She spun and loosed another knife at the target behind her, this time harder but still hitting it's mark. 'Hiccups NOT like all the others!'

His smile, the way he made her smile. The way he made her feel...safe, valued and cared about. The way she felt toward him, feelings she wasn't allowed to show or act upon like a normal teenager. The way he looked without his tunic. She'd seen topless men before...hairy, barrel-chested, pot-bellied men that disgusted her. Hiccup though...he was something else entirely...

"HYAHH!" Her third throw missed the target completely and landed in a tree. She stomped her foot in agitation and stormed towards it, grabbing the handle and ripping it out with all her might before leaning against the trunk and slumping to the ground. 'Why did I have to throw water on him?'

She'd never been so confused. As much as she hated it at times, she knew who she was expected to be and what she had to become...a Bog Burglar Chieftess. But at the same time couldn't deny she was attracted to him. Two things that could never go together and so with a heavy heart, she decided to keep her feelings for him a secret and lock them away with the one that had plagued her since childhood.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Heart to Heart

A/N: Hey everyone :) I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter. I've been involuntarily nominated for a course at work which means...assignment's (aka homework) so I haven't had as much time as I'd like work on this story.

As always please enjoy and thank you for your patience. Mike :)  
-

Hiccup waded through the swamp on his way back from the scorched tree. "Almost...there...Bud" he panted with each step.

"Come on Hiccup!"

He looked to the clearing when he heard Camicazi call out to him. He was only twenty meters or so from the bank where he started and she was there waiting for him. The look on her face as she stood next to the sundial was one of pure satisfaction and even though he was exhausted and soaked to the bone, he was relieved that she was smiling again.

"Come on Bud...she's mocking us, we can't let her...enjoy this too -"

Suddenly his prosthetic snagged on some roots below the surface, bringing him to his knee's with a splash.

"Oh for love of Thor..." He spluttered as some water got into his mouth. "...not again" He sighed wearily and looked back at his left leg. At first he hated it, hated how he tripped and stumbled all the time. How it made everyday things like walking, running and swimming a challenge. It took a year but he'd managed to get used to it and accept it as part of himself. He even learned to laugh and joke about it. But at times like this, when his stump ached from the cold and the sediment trapped between his real and fake leg chaffed irritably, he couldn't help feeling that hatred towards it return.

"Hiccup?"

His head snapped up and to his surprise, Camicazi was standing right in front of him with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"I'm fine...I just lost my footing..." He gasped, flashing her a quick smile before reaching to his trapped leg and pulling his prosthetic out of the water. "...literally" he said and his expression fell as he examined it. It was useless, covered in mud and a jammed solid by stone's caught in the mechanism Gobber had designed to absorb shock. 'Stupid leg' He thought bitterly and gestured his dragon over, eye's never leaving the infernal device.

As Toothless approached, he sensed the self loathing vibe radiating from his best friend and bowed his head sadly.

"Is it broken?"

"Yeah but..." He grunted loudly as he pushed himself to his foot.

Toothless quickly tucked his head under Hiccups arm and caught him as he lost balance. "Thanks Bud" he said and gave his dragons ear a scratch before hopping to Toothless' side. He put his damaged leg into a saddlebag and pulled out a new one. "Luckily I always carry a spare"

Camicazi watched him attach his new leg, starting to feel bad for making him do this by himself. "Hiccup I'm -" She started to apologise but froze when his face contorted and he hissed quietly as he put weight on it. "Are you alright?"

"I will be once it's thawed out" he answered dryly and started towards the clearing.

"Here let me help you, you're limping" She reached for his arm to support him but as soon as she made contact, he snatched it way.

"No Cami! I don't want any help...I can finish this" he sighed heavily and soldiered on.

"O-Okay" she looked down in shame and mentally cursed herself 'Idiot!'

Toothless watched her worriedly as she followed him, picking up the same vibe he'd detected from his best friend a few minutes ago.  
-

Hiccup clambered up the mud bank, eventually pulling himself up and onto dry land. "Yes!" He cried, thrusting his arms into the air and falling to his knee's. An action he instantly regretted as a sharp pain shot through his leg. 'Shit'

"Not a bad time..." Camicazi said morosely as she walked past him. She marked the sundial where the shadow laid and glanced back to him. "...alot of room for improvement though"

Toothless approached Hiccup from behind as he stood up and snarled angrily.

"What's wrong Bud?" He asked and his dragon gestured at Camicazi.

When he looked at her his heart sank, she looked even more upset than when he left her. "Hey Cami?..."

"Yeah?" She looked back to him as he sat down next to Toothless and rested against him.

"...you got a minute to talk? It's important" He asked, detaching his leg and resting his stump on a rock so the sunlight could dry it out as quickly as possible.

"Of course" She approached slowly and sat down next to him with her legs crossed, watching him expectantly. He was silent for a moment and she followed his gaze. As her sight rested on his stump, a cold feeling churned in the pit of her stomach. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry for snapping at you back there, I shouldn't have" he finally spoke.

"It's okay Hiccup, I understand"

"But that's the thing Cami, you don't..." He looked to her and let out a depressed sigh before looking back to it. "...H-How could you?"

Camicazi heard his voice crack and felt a tug in her chest. 'Screw it' she thought. He needed her and even though she'd spent the last hour and a half promising herself she wouldn't do thing's like this anymore...only engage with him in a way that could be seen as friendly. She shifted closer to him and wrapped her arm's around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Then tell me..." she whispered, making herself comfortable.

Hiccup looked down at her and smiled gently before leaning back and reaching around her in return. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then started talking.

"When I woke up after the battle everything was perfect, so perfect I thought I'd died and gone to Valhalla. Sure I'd lost my leg, but at the time it didn't matter. My dad was so proud, he finally saw me as a son and not a disappointment. Gobber studied the saddle I made for Toothless while I was unconscious and built me a custom leg so I could still fly. The villagers didn't act like I was invisible anymore. Astrid! She..."

He felt Camicazi tense suddenly. He rubbed her arm to calm her and made a mental note not to mention Astrid again. "And there were dragons everywhere. In the sky, on the roofs, even in the street. But after that, when life returned to normal I..."

"Go on" She whispered, gripping him tighter.

"...I-I felt more useless than ever" he stammered.

Camicazi looked up, tears welling in her eyes as she saw his were streaming. "K-Keep talking" she nudged him encouragingly.

"Everytime I limped, winced or showed the slightest bit of pain, there was always someone there asking if I was okay. Once I tripped over in the main square and a crowd of villagers swarmed around me, all wanting to to help me up. I couldn't walk ten feet through the village without someone asking 'How's your leg?' 'Do you need help?' or 'Why don't you let Toothless carry you?' I know they meant well but I hated all of the attention, I hated this!" He gestured at his leg. "At one point part of me wished I could go back to being invisible, back to 'Hiccup the Useless'" he spat venomously.

"Hiccup -" she started but he continued, voice slowly returning to normal.

"...so after that I promised myself I'd do everything in my power to be just like everybody else, do what normal people like you can do. I wanted to finish The Gauntlet by myself...that's why I snapped at you. And I-I'm sorry" he sighed and looked down.

She looked up to him as he closed his eye's and shook his head. "Hiccup look at me..."

He didn't respond.

"I said look at me!" She demanded and gently smacked the side of his head.

"Hey" he chuckled lightly and obeyed.

"I forgive you. And you're right, I could never understand how it made you feel. But I'm glad you told me"

"You're the only one" he conceded.

"Really? But why would you tell me?"

"You're special" He replied without hesitation.

Her eyes widened slightly and she felt another tug in her chest. It was a small compliment but it meant alot and she couldn't help the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach. Her elated mood soon dissolved though when her mothers stinging words echoed in her mind.

Hiccup watched her with concern as her expression fell and she deflated.

"I'm not special Hiccup..." she sighed sadly and looked away, trying to hide the tears that welled in her eyes. "...lets start training"

"Cami wait..." He placed his hand on her shoulder as she went to stand up and felt her shudder. He turned her to face him and looked her in the eye. "You may not feel that way about yourself, but you are to me..." he said softly and cupped both her cheek's, gently wiping away her tears. "...you really are"

Toothless perked up as he sensed Camicazi's distress. He curled his tail around the pair as a show of support and grumbled sympathetically.

Camicazi closed her eye's and felt herself relax as Hiccup pulled her head to his chest, running his fingers through her hair and tucking a stray lock behind her ear. "B-But why?..." She asked shakily. "...what did I do to make you think so highly of me?"

"Everything" he answered genuinely.

"I don't get it"

He glanced down at her but she wasn't looking at him. He took her hand and held it firmly before letting out a heavy sigh. "You don't get it because you didn't even try Cami. Do you remember when we first met?"

"N-not really..." She sniffed. "...we were five. It was so long ago"

"Well I do, it seems like it was only yesterday...it was a rainy day and Snotlout pushed me into a puddle. He was about to hit me but then you appeared out of nowhere, clutching your little bludgeon and whacking him over the head..." He laughed light-heartedly. "...you helped me up after he ran off crying and said -"

"Be strong" she whispered as the memory flashed before her.

"...and then when we were ten. Snotlout and Tuffnut beat me black and blue a couple of days before you arrived. You stole their vest's and sewed poison ivy into the linings. We watched from behind the forge the next morning as they walked past -"

"Scratching like honey covered Yak's on an anthill..." She giggled and closed her eyes, feeling all of her troubles start to drain away. The more he spoke, the better she felt about herself. "...I'll never forget that"

"You-you laughed so hard you snorted like a pig..." He chuckled. "...I had to cover your mouth so we wouldn't get caught!"

She released his hand and slapped it across her mouth, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "Don't make fun of me" she mumbled between her fingers.

"I'm not...I liked it" he reassured.

She lowered her hand and looked up to him startled. "You did? Why? It's embarrassing"

"It was a side of you I'd never seen before..." He met her gaze and nudged her encouragingly. "...a side of you I wish I could see more of"

"In your dream's" she rolled her eyes playfully and settled back against him.

"As you wish" he shrugged and cleared his throat.

Her attention snapped up to him as he puffed out his chest. "Hiccup don't -"

"THIS IS SERIOUS GOBBER! THEY'RE GONE!..." He bellowed, impersonating his father.

Camicazi slapped her hand back over her mouth in an attempt to stop her guffaw. "S-stop it!" She squealed but he was relentless.

"...OF COURSE I PUT THEM ON THIS MORNING! YOU THINK I'M DAFT!?"

She couldn't contain her laugher any longer and exploded. "Hahahaha!*snort* Hahahaha!"

"There it is!" He pointed at her and burst out laughing as well.

When they finally calmed down, breathless and tears streaming down their faces. Camicazi snuggled back into his chest."I hate you..." She sighed jokingly. "...no one else can make me do that"

"And that's my point Cami. You are the only person who has treated me as an equal from day one. The only one not afraid to be yourself around me. I know it sounds stupid but...whenever I messed up or was beaten, after my Dad lectured me about how I needed to 'man up' and 'be a real Viking'. I'd go to bed that night and pray you'd visit Berk the next day..." He rested his head on top of hers, taking her hand again and hugging her a little tighter. "...that's why I think you're special"

They sat there in silence for a moment.

Camicazi stared at their clasped hands and she felt that tug in her chest again. The feeling's for him she tried to lock away grew stronger and threatened to break free like a raging bull trying to escape it's paddock. She clamped her eyes shut and breathed heavily. 'You're a Bog Cami. You're a -' Her trail of thoughts were broken suddenly when he started talking again.

"Also I want you to know that I'm here for you too. I know you don't want to talk about what happened last night and I won't press you. But if the day ever comes that you do want to, don't even hesitate to ask me. Okay?"

"I won't Hiccup..." 'God's who am I kidding?!' She glanced around to make sure no one was watching and planted a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek. "...thank you" she whispered against his skin.

"Whoa!"

"What!?" She pulled away abruptly and fear consumed her. 'Was that too much?' She thought. Relief flooded her though when he faced her and she saw the highly amused look on his face.

"Who are you and what did you do to Camicazi?" He accused.

"Shut up!" she replied bashfully and shoved him back, turning her head away to hide her blush.

"For the record...I like that side of you as well"

She looked back to him with a raised brow and cheeky smile. "Well...that's one you definitely won't be seeing more of!" She rose to her feet and her voice became stern. "Now enough of this soppy talk. Let's begin"

"Yes ma'am" He reached for his stump that no longer ached and felt the sock over it was almost dry. He re-attached his prosthetic and stood up and testing it a couple of times before running to catch up to her so they were side by side.

"Hiccup before we start training..." She clapped her hands together. "...I have three rule's"

"Okay, what are they?"

"Rule number one: You give me your all. One hundred percent, all of the time. If you're tired or hurt, don't be afraid to say. You're no good to me if your heart isn't in it"

"Okay" he nodded.

"Rule number two: When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, no pulling your punches. I'm not some little girl made out of glass who's going to run away crying if you hit me. If I think you're holding back...and I will know. I'll hit you even harder" she smirked.

"Well I never had you down as one of those. But I'm not sure I feel comfortable hitting you, you're my best friend!"

She was touched as she saw the confliction in his eye's. She should have expected this, he was way too kind and caring to just jump into the ring and start fighting her. But if she was to turn him into the best fighter he could be...he'd have to put those feelings aside so she carried on regardless.

"That brings me to rule number three. Once we cross that line..." She stopped him and pointed to the edge of the ring. "...we'll no longer be friend's, we'll be opponents. For this training to work, you have to see me as an enemy...got it?!"

"I got it" he nodded solemnly.

"Good, now come on"

Hiccup gulped audibly and suddenly felt very nervous. He looked to Camicazi as she stood at the centre of the ring watching him expectantly. 'You can do this Hiccup...you can do this' he psyched himself up before stepping over the threshold. He approached the centre of the ring and faced her.

"Your first task is simple..." She stated, lowering herself into a ready position. "...bring your opponent to the ground, by any means necessary. First to three wins"

He nodded reluctantly and matched her stance, watching her intently as he tried to anticipate her move. But after a few seconds and no move came, he took a chance and rushed forward.

Camicazi grinned knowingly, spinning out of the way and letting him crash to the floor. "One - Zero. Never lunge at your opponent! It put's you off balance!" she sniggered and returned to the centre, assuming her ready stance.

Hiccup grunted, spitting out the grass in his mouth as he rose to his feet. 'Balance' he thought, committing her advice to memory and facing her again.

"Think about it Hiccup, what do you have that I don't!?"

The gears in his mind grinded together until he reached a conclusion. 'Reach'

This time he kept his feet planted and feinted left. As she reacted he grabbed the back of her neck with his right hand, pulling her forward and tucking his leg behind hers before pushing her to the floor and pinning her down. "One - One" he growled.

"Very clever" She curled beneath him and pressed both feet into his stomach, flipping him over and keeping hold so she landed on top. "Two - One" she growled back with equal ferocity.

"Thanks for the tip" he grinned menacingly and her eyes widened as he mirrored her last move. She landed with a thud but when she opened her eye's, her breath caught as he straddled her waist and pinned both arms above her head. "Two - Two"

"You're a fast learner...let me up" she winked and pecked his cheek. She felt his grip loosen and took advantage, freeing her arm and punching him in the face.

"Argh!..." He cried as she rolled on top of him. "...that's not f-fair!" He spluttered, holding his nose as blood seeped through his fingers.

"Never trust your opponent Hiccup. They'll do anything to win...they'll..."

Both of them froze as the War Horn sounded in the distance.

"What is that?" Hiccup asked.

A shrill shriek pierced the air and Camicazi shot to her feet. "Shrieker!...Hiccup -" she looked down to him but he was already gone.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted as he ran towards his dragon.

"Wait!" Camicazi raced after him and grabbed his arm. She spun him around to face her and pulled his forehead to hers. "I'm coming with you"

"No you're not..." Hiccup replied flatly and pecked her cheek before pushing her away. "...you need to stay here"

"W-W-Why!?" She questioned defiantly and gripped his waist, pulling him closer and looking him dead in the eye. "Why!?"

"Because I can't risk losing you!..." He shouted angrily and then immediately calmed. "...you know why"

"Hiccup you asked for my help, and whether you like it or not...you're going to get it! So stop your pouting and take me with you!"

Hiccup contemplated her word's for a moment and caved. "Fine..." He mounted Toothless and held out his hand to her. "...get on"

She swatted his hand away and went to sit behind him but he grabbed her wrist. "Oh no! You're sitting up front" He shuffled back in the saddle to create space and hoisted her up. He took both of his hands on top of hers and placed them where his would usually be. "Hold on tight!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - The Shreiker

A/N: Hey everyone :) Again sorry for the delay. Rogue dragon is here. As always, please enjoy and let me know what you think. Mike  
-

"READY YOUR WEAPONS!" Bertha screamed furiously, holding her hammer above her head as she thundered across the bridge from the Great Hall and into the village.

"BERTHA STOP!..." Stoick bellowed as he chased after her with Gobber and Ragna following close behind him.

"It's no use Stoick!..." Ragna tried to reason. "...when she's like this there's no getting through to her!"

Stoick's only response was a grunt as he pushed himself even faster and left them behind. Considering their size, both chiefs were deceptively quick.

"A-and you really think you could get through to him!?" Gobber panted, his peg leg making it difficult for him to keep up.

"We have to try Gobber! Peace treaty or not, Bertha in a rage like this is too unpredictable!" Ragna barked and left him behind as well.

Gobber watched her disappear around a corner and had to take a moment to catch his breath. "O-Okay...I'll be right there!" He wheezed and then soldiered on after them.  
-

"So what's the plan!?" Camicazi called, squinting through blurry eye's as the wind crashed into her face. When the three of them reached cruising altitude Hiccup pulled Toothless into a hover.

"We try to train it" Hiccup answered sternly.

She jumped at the tone of his voice and looked back to him. He looked terrified, his face was white as a sheet, caked in blood and she could feel his hand's shaking as they clamped hers almost painfully to the saddle. "Hiccup what's wrong?"

"I don't like this" He sighed, releasing her hand's and reaching into Toothless' saddlebag. He pulled out a rag and used it to stem the flow of his bleeding nose.

"You don't like what?" She winced and looked at her hands. The feeling and colour started to return gradually as she flexed her fingers.

"You..." He said in a muffled voice and threw the blood stained rag away. "...here" He pulled the spyglass from his belt and looked through it, scanning the Island below them for any indication of the Shreiker's whereabouts.

"Hiccup we've been through this already..." She turned to face him, placing her hand over the end of the spyglass and blocking his view. "...I can look after myself"

The corner of his mouth crept up briefly but then his face turned serious. "Normally I'd agree..." He shrugged. "...but you can't up here, not yet. You're an inexperienced rider, that what I showed you on Toothless yesterday was nothing compared to what we might have to go through. Cruising over your Island is one thing, but aerial combat isn't something to be taken lightly Cami. I'm not confident I can keep you safe. And if you got hurt or...w-worse..." He sighed sadly and shook his head. "...I'd never forgive myself"

"What!?...And you think I could forgive myself!?" She snapped. "I thought I'd lost you once. How do you think I would feel if something like that happened to you again and I knew I could have been there to help!?"

"I -" Hiccup started to reply but head snapped up as another piercing shriek filled the air. In the distance, about half a mile outside the village, a plume of dust and debris rose into the air.

"What's out there?" Hiccup asked monotonously, handing her the spyglass.

She looked through it her blood ran cold as she recognised the location. "It's our northern storehouse, most of our remaining provisions are in there!"

"Then we need to get to it now!" He stated firmly, picking up the urgency in her voice.

Camicazi's eye's shot open as he placed his hand on her stomach and pulled her flush against him. For a moment she lost all sense of what was as stake and the imminent danger she was about to face. The feel of him bucking into her like that triggered a sensation that made her think of something far less innocent than him just wanting to protect her.

"Cami, I only have one rule..."

'Oh God's!' Her mind raced and a shiver ran down her spine as he arched forward, pushing her down so she was almost pressed against the saddle. She quickly glanced right, his face was so close to hers that if she turned slightly they'd be kissing. 'Stop it Cami!' She mentally cursed herself, closing her eye's in an attempt to dispel those inappropriate thoughts. "O-okay, w-what is it?" She breathed shakily.

"You listen. You do exactly what I say...when I say it. Got it?"

Again she jumped, his voice was so serious it almost sounded harsh. "Got it" she answered with a reluctant nod.

"Good" He whispered solemnly and clicked his metal leg in the stirrup, causing Toothless' tailfin to open to it's widest. "LETS GO BUD!" He shouted and they shot off towards the storehouse.  
-

Stoick arrived at the village's main square but he was too late. Bertha was already stood atop a stack of crates in the centre, screaming at the top of her lungs and her villager's rallied around her. "BERTHA!" He shouted but his voice was drowned out by the crowd's battle cries. "BERTHA!" He tried again and started to barge his way through the crowd. When he finally reached the front Bertha had already left her podium and was shouting orders.

"YOU THREE, FLANK LEFT AND ATTACK FROM THE WEST!"

"Aye Bertha!" Her warriors chanted and left as their chief had instructed.

"YOU THREE -" She rounded on her warriors who she expected to be there but was confronted by Stoick instead.

"Bertha please, stop this madness!" Stoick attempted to calm her down but failed.

"OUTTA MY WAY!..." Bertha growled, pushing him aside advancing towards the hill. "...OUR DEAL IS DONE! SO TAKE YOUR MEN AND GET THE HEL OFF MY ISLAND!"

Stoick pursued and stood before her, pushing against her shoulders with both hands and in an attempt to hold her back. "You're right our deal is done..." He said in an even tone. "...but what about the deal you made with my son?"

"Are you questioning my honour Stoick!?" She hissed , closing the distance between them so they were practically nose to nose.

"Not at all Bertha...all I'm asking you to do is think about what your doing. Let my son do what he's good at"

"WELL THEN WHERE IS HE!..." she snarled. "...I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT MY PEOPLE! IF WE LOSE THAT STOREHOUSE, MY VILLAGE WON'T SURVIVE THE WINTER!..." She looked up and pointed her hammer in the direction of the storehouse, signalling her troops to advance. She met Stoick's gaze again and mellowed slightly. "...put yourself in my position Stoick. As a fellow chief, can you look me in the eye and honestly say wouldn't do the same if it was your people?..." Stoick's silence said it all and she nodded as she walked past him. "...didn't think so. LET'S GO LADIES!"

Stoick sighed heavily as he watched them leave and looked to the sky. 'Where are you Hiccup'  
-

Hiccup, Camicazi and Toothless arrived at the scene and circled the area, paying close attention to the Shreiker as it rammed and clawed at the storehouse doors. Since it's last attack Bertha had ordered that the doors be reinforced with additional bolts and strengthening beams, but even those were beginning to weaken under the constant battering.

"Hiccup we have to do something!"

"Alright, let's try to draw it away!..." Hiccup guided Toothless around and pushed him into a dive. "...get it's attention Bud!"

Toothless complied immediately and shot out a plasma blast that exploded a few meters away from the hostile dragon and it reacted immediately...but not the way Hiccup had hoped.

It stayed on the ground, growling viciously and pinning them with icy blue eye's. Without giving them time to react it let out a blast of it's own, a spiralling vortex of gale force wind that Hiccup only narrowly avoided by bringing Toothless to an abrupt halt.

"That was too close!..." Hiccup gasped. He looked down to where the Shrieker had been but was shocked to see it was no longer there. He frantically scanned the sky in all directions, gripping Camicazi tighter as he came to the unfortunate realisation that he may have seriously underestimated this dragon. "...God's where the Hel is it!?"

His question was answered almost immediately by it's familiar shriek directly below. The wind picked up dramatically, storm clouds formed above them and they suddenly found themselves in the eye of a hurricane.

"Shit! Cami hold on!" Hiccup shouted over the roaring wind as random updrafts and crosswinds the hurricane generated buffeted them and made it almost impossible for him to control Toothless. He quickly glanced back to his dragon's tailfin to make sure it was still intact before curling over her, using his body to shield her from the debris that pelted them.

"I-I am!" She cowered, shaking with fear and holding on with all her strength. Being in a life and death situation was something she was she was familiar with, but all of those times before she'd had a certain degree of control and without that she was terrified.

The distress in her voice ignited a fire within Hiccup he hadn't felt since the battle with the Red Death and his mind went into overdrive. He'd let her come with him, even though it was against his better judgement so there was no way he'd let anything bad happen to her. 'Think Hiccup! Think!' he thought and then an idea popped into his head. He looked up and saw salvation, blue sky at the end of the funnel. " Up Toothless!"

Before Toothless could respond, a mighty force smash into them from the side that threw them into the wall of the hurricane.

"Hiccup!" Camicazi screamed as they tumbled haphazardly. "If we die I want you to know that you're special to me too!"

"We're not going to die -"

They were hit again, this time the impact knocking them out of the hurricane completely.

"Toothless! Toothless pull up!" Hiccup cried, desperately pulling back on the saddle as they hurtled towards the ground but his dragon was unresponsive.

Toothless regained consciousness at the last minute, splaying his wings to their widest in an attempt to slow their decent but it was to late. They crashed into the ground and skidded a good fifty feet before finally coming to a standstill.

"H-Hiccup?" Camicazi croaked.

"Cami!..." His attention snapped to her and he pulled her up by her shoulders and turned her to face him, brushing the bangs out of her face and cupping both her cheek's. "...Cami are you hurt?"

"No...I-I'm good"

"Oh thank Thor!" He sighed, pulling her into a hug that she immediately returned.

Camicazi smiled happily, all of her fear drained away as he embraced so tight she could hardly breath. "You can let go of me now" She chuckled lightheartedly.

When he released her they both looked back, the hurricane they were just caught in dissipated as quickly as it was summoned and the Shreiker resumed it's relentless assault on the storehouse. Their attention turned to Toothless as they felt him lift themself to his feet, emitting a painful whimper.

"What's wrong Bud?"

Toothless looked to his wing and Hiccup followed his gaze. It was limp, fully open and resting on the floor.

Hiccup dismounted and lifted it gently which caused Toothless you screech in pain. "Shit! His wing's broken, he cant help us"

"So what do we do?" Camicazi asked.

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking" He looked to his dragon and another idea shot into his head. "I've got it. You stay here Bud" He soothed, rubbing his dragons head and then turning to face the storehouse. "Is there another way in?"

"Y-yeah..." She dismounted Toothless and stood next to him, confused by the determined smile on his face. "...there's a hatch around the back that lead's to the cellar where we store our mead...what are you thinking?"

"We give it what it want's" he shrugged.

"WHAT!?..." She jumped before him and shoved him back angrily. "...your suggesting we just let it take all of our food!"

"Not all of it Cami, just hear me out..." He placed both hands on her shoulders and sighed sadly before continuing. "...the reason Toothless only has half a tail is because I shot him down. I found him a few days later trapped in a cove, unable to fly and starving. So I fed him, I gave him what he needed and that was my way in"

"So...after everything it just did to us. You still think you can train it?" She asked in disbelief.

"I do..." He said softly and rubbed her arms up and down. "...think about it Cami. When we tried to draw it away it didn't follow. It stayed close to it's food source, dealt with us and then went right back to it. It saw us as a threat to it's survival and retaliated"

Camicazi thought about it for a moment, he was a dragon expert and everything he said seemed to make sense. So she took a deep breath and even though she was still a little shaken and not happy that her village would be losing more food to this dragon, she decided to trust him and go along with it. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Hiccup at her smiled in thanks and they started walking towards the storehouse. "This is going to be a little different than what I showed you yesterday Cami, we need to let it know we're not a threat so this time we'll disarm in front of it..."

"Okay" Camicazi gulped nervously.

"...I'll keep it distracted while you run around the back and fetch a basket of fish..."

"Wait, how will you keep it distracted?"

"...I'll talk to it. And if that doesn't work I have this" Hiccup reached to his belt, unclipped 'Inferno' and passed it to her.

She examined it confused, starting to think he was actually insane. "A sword with no blade? How could this help?"

"If it comes down to you'll see. If not, I'll show you when this is all over..." He smirked and took it back before carrying on. "...we'll feed it and then hopefully it'll let us in close enough to train it"

"Alright but..." She rubbed her hands together apprehensively. "...I'm worried about you, what if something goes wro -" She lost her breath and closed her eyes as he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek with the same if not more care and affection than she had shown earlier. Her skin beneath his lips started to tingle and her face felt so hot she thought it would burn off. When he finally pulled away she glanced back at him bashfully. "W-what was t-that for?"

"Just in case..." Hiccup smiled and looked to the raging dragon. "...come on"

Camicazi took a deep breath to compose herself and followed him. They approached silently until they were close enough to be heard, but far away enough to jump out of the way if the Shrieker did decide to attack.

"HEY!" Hiccup called.

The Shrieker rounded on them instantly, pupils narrowed and generating a wind barrier around itself for protection. The barrier dispersed almost immediately though but it tried again, also failing.

Hiccup zoned out for a second, captivated by the sheer magnificence of the creature that stood before him. It's posture was like that of a big cat, crouched low on four muscular legs, ready to pounce at any second. He guessed it would be eight feet tall when standing. It's face resembled that of a wolf, but with four back pointing horns crowning it's head and another two under each eye. It was covered almost entirely in a thick, grey carapace made out of interlocking plates. The ones that lined it's neck and back stuck out like jagged, mountainous peaks, while the ones that covered the lower half of its body looked more like tortoiseshell.

"Get rid of your weapons" Hiccup ordered as he came back to reality, unstrapping Snotlout's axe from his back and throwing it as far away as he could.

Camicazi did the same, hatchet's, short sword's, dagger's and throwing knife belt, all thrown aside to show she meant no harm.

The Shreiker froze and regarded them suspiciously, confused by their odd behaviour. For a moment it just stared at them, waiting for them to make a move.

"So i guess whipping up that hurricane took alot out of you huh? Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you" Hiccup said in a soothing tone and noticed the Shrieker's posture relax. "We know you're hungry and we're here to help" The dragons pupil's returned to normal so he took a step forward.

Camicazi watched him approach slowly and couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Seeing him communicate with Toothless was one thing but this was something else entirely. The way he could calm a dragon that only a short time ago was trying to kill them, made her realise just how special he was. Not just to her but the entire archipelago.

Hiccup came within touching distance. He had done this many times before but he couldn't help feeling afraid, especially considering this was a dragon that no one knew anything about. His heart was beating so fast he thought it would jump out of his chest but he closed his eyes, turned his head away and reached out to the Shrieker. After a few second's he felt it press it's nose into his hand, he turned to and relaxed as it purred happily. "Cami come here" He said while gesturing her over.

"What about the fish?" she asked as she approached warily.

"Forget that for now..." Hiccup laughed and took her hand, he placed it on the Shreiker's snout and took a step back. The joyous feeling that welled within him as he saw the connection between them was indescribable. He'd felt it everytime he'd introduced a dragon to it's rider, but that still didn't stop the goofy grin that crept on to his face. "...say hello to your -"

"CAMI!..." Bertha screamed as she crested the hill and laid eye's on the dragon that towered over her daughter, too pumped up on adrenaline and battle rage to realise the events that were actually taking place in front of her.

Hiccups head snapped to his right to see Bertha and her villagers storming towards them, all with weapons in hand. A low growl resonated from the Shreiker and in that moment, time seemed to stand still and his world turned silent as he looked back to Camicazi. She was too lost in thought to notice the Wind Stalkers pupils narrow into slits and its body language become aggressive again. 'Oh no!' "CAMI MOVE!" He cried and without hesitation, rushed forward and pushed her out of the way as it lashed out.

Camicazi crashed against the storehouse wall and fell to the floor, her ears ringing and a sharp pain pulsating through her head. She managed to turn her head slightly and the last thing she saw as her vision went out of focus as she lost consciousness, was the Shreiker shooting up into the air.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - Nightmares

A/N: Hey everyone :) As always I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think. Mike :)

Camicazi's eyes slowly opened, her vision was dark and blurry but as it slowly refocused and she recognised the two battleaxes mounted to the wall above her head, she knew exactly where she was. She was in her room, lying in her bed and she no idea how she got there or what time it was...all she knew for certain was that it was night. Her forehead felt strange, like something was pressing against it so she raised her hand and felt a bandage. "Whut happened?" She slurred but there was no response. Camicazi tilted her head and looked around her room but to her dismay, her mother was nowhere to be seen. 'Figures' She thought bitterly, even when she was hurt Bertha didn't care enough to be with her.

Her trail of thoughts were broken suddenly when she heard the front door to her house open and shut. Bog Burglar huts only had a ground floor and her room backed on to the living area so when two familiar voices started conversing, she could hear every word and listened intently.

"So how's the boy?" She heard her mother ask. Camicazi knew right away her mother meant Hiccup and sat up quickly. Something she realised she shouldn't have done as a sharp pain shot through her head and the room around her began to spin.

"Hillevi had to sedate him..."

The first word that Ragna said made Camicazi's blood run cold. Hillevi was her villages oldest and most gifted healer, only patient's with the deadliest diseases or gravest injuries were assigned to her. 'Hiccup!' She thought frantically and without even thinking about it, gingerly walked to her window. She pushed the shutters open as quietly as she could and not so gracefully, rolled out of it. "Fuck" She wheezed as she crashed into the ground, spitting out some dust before carefully lifting herself to her feet. 'I'm coming Hiccup'

-  
"...he was thrashing about and risked hurting himself" Ragna said as she took a seat at the dining table opposite her sister.

"Probably for the best..." Bertha nodded solemnly, taking another gulp of ale from her mug. "...Is everything else done?"

"Aye. Cami will do what needs to be done if she agrees to it...and I've no doubt she will. Hiccup's things have been moved into his hut. Gobber has splinted the Night Fury's wing and he's resting there now but..." Ragna trailed off, still not one hundred percent sure that what she'd seen was actually real when she'd peeked through the window of Hiccup's hut earlier.

"But what?" Bertha pressed.

"You should have seen it Bertha. The Night Fury was...sad, pining like it was worried about it's master. Gobber was talking to it, reassuring it and I...I felt it"

"That's ridiculous" Bertha scoffed and leaned back in her chair.

"Is it? You were there Bertha and I wasn't...but I've the villagers talking. Tell me? What did the Night Fury do once the Shrieker left?"

"It got in my way..." Bertha hissed and her voice turned vicious. "...It wouldn't let me help the boy or Cami"

"Others say it was defending them, both of them..." Ragna emphasized and saw Bertha deflate slightly. She chose this moment to change the subject, knowing that pushing this matter any further would only make things worse. "...How is Cami by the way?"

"She's still unconscious..." Bertha said as she began to relax. She leaned forwards and stared down at the table, rubbing her hand's together nervously. "...I want to be here when she wakes up...to apologise"

"Apologise?" Ragna questioned while raising a brow. When her sister merely shook her head and didn't make eye contact, rage consumed her. "You didn't!..." Ragna shoved Bertha's shoulder angrily. "...Please tell me you didn't say that to her again!?"

When Bertha didn't respond, Ragna lost it. She leaned over the table so she was only an inch away and whispered venomously. "And you wonder why she sail's away to god knows where all the time? Quite frankly I'm surprised that she bothers coming back"

"I-I was angry, I didn't mean it"

"You're always angry Bertha..." Ragna shook her head dismissively. "...and that's no excuse" She backed away and rose to her feet, disgusted that her sister could be so callous. Ragna approached the door to Camicazi's room and pushed it open gently. "She's gone!"

"What!?" Bertha cried and rushed into her daughters room to find it empty and the window open. "Where is she!?"

"You know exactly where she is Bertha!..." Ragna replied sternly, barging past her sister and heading for the door. "...she must have heard us!"

"The Boy!?"

Ragna rolled her eye's in despair and rounded on Bertha furiously. "Of course she's going to see him! You saw what he did, the whole village did! And believe me when I say this, he's turned a few heads!"

Bertha stood speechless as Ragna slammed the door in her face as she left. She returned to her seat at the table and stared into the flame of the candle at it's centre. Within it she saw Camicazi's face from last night, distraught and crying her eye's out as she ran to her room. The evil words she'd said to her daughter over the years pounded in her ears, and just like she always did. Bertha necked her mug of ale, then another...and another until she passed out and couldn't hear them anymore.

-  
Camicazi crept towards the door to the healers. She reached out to push it open but stopped short, her heart began to fill with dread as she contemplated what horrors awaited on the other side. She took a deep breath to steel herself and stepped inside. The treatment area was dark and cold, the hearth that warmed it before was nothing but a smouldering pile of ember's. At the back of the room, a soft orange glow emanated from behind a curtain that led to the recovery room and she started making her way towards it.

As she approached and passed a table on her left, Camicazi stood stiff as she caught a glimpse something that looked vaguely familiar lying upon it. She slowly walked towards it, feeling her knee's begin to shake as she got closer and realised what it was. It was his chest armour, covered in blood and shredded almost beyond recognition. "No" She gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. Her heart rate quickened, pumping blood to her head and she started to feel dizzy again. She rested her hand on the table to support herself, knocking off a vail in the process and it smashed on the floor.

Gobber burst out from beyond the curtain. "Lass!?..." He raced forward as fast as he could when she pushed herself up and lost balance, catching her at the last minute as she staggered backwards. "...Lass you shouldn't be here. You should be in bed resting"

"I-I need to see h-him Gobber" She stammered, using his body as leverage to pull herself back up.

Gobber rose with her, keeping hold incase she fell again. "Lass please..." He tried to sooth but she wasn't having any of it.

Camicazi stepped forward, pulling out of his grasp and pushing onwards until she reached the curtain. She pushed it aside and immediately regretted doing so. Stoick had his back to her, slumped forward and fast asleep. His girth blocked most of her view but she could see Hiccups face, pale, bathed in sweat and twitching uncontrollably. "Hic -"

"Lass..." Gobber whispered, placing his hand on her shoulder and holding her back. "...don't do this to yourself"

She ignored him and shrugged him off. "S-S-Stoick?"

Stoick raised his head wearily and turned to face her, revealing his injured son. "Camicazi?"

Camicazi froze at the sight that lay before her and began to feel nauseous. Four deep gashes stitched together with sinew stretched across Hiccups torso, starting at his right shoulder and ending just below his ribcage...any lower and he would have been disemboweled. "I'm going to be sick..." Camicazi heaved and Stoick was quick to stand and grab her a bucket, setting it down in front of her and holding her hair back as she crouched and emptied her stomach.

"Gobber, get her some water!..." Stoick ordered and the old blacksmith hobbled off. He turned his attention back to Camicazi and patted her on the back. "...That's it. Let it out...let it all out..." Gobber returned a few seconds later and handed him a mug. "...here"

Camicazi took the mug in trembling hand's and took a sip, swilling the water around her mouth to get rid of the taste of vomit before spitting it out. "T-Thanks"

"Camicazi -"

"Stoick please..." She interrupted and looked up to the Berkian chief hopefully. "...please don't send me away. He's...he's pretty much all I have"

"I wasn't going to send you away Lass..." Stoick reassured and helped her to her feet. "...come on"

Camicazi walked with the Chief as he led her to Hiccup's bedside and sat down next to him. She reached out and took Hiccups hand, raising it to her lips and kissing his knuckles. "Is he going to make it?" She whispered against them.

"It's touch and go for now -"

"Oh no" Camicazi interrupted, pressing his hand against her heart as she burst into tears. She placed her other hand on his clammy cheek and begged. "P-Please Hiccup...please! Y-You have to make it..." Her voice grew quieter with every word. "...for me"

Stoick felt the genuine concern in her voice and looked to Gobber who nodded in approval. He placed his huge hand on Camicazi's shoulder and spoke softly. "Hillevi says that if he survives the night he has a good chance Camicazi, and it's only a couple of hours until sunrise"

"Thank the God's"

"I need to ask you for a favour Lass"

"W-What is it?"

"At first light me and my men will set sail for Berk, I've already been gone long enough and there's always some disaster to clean up after leaving my brother in charge..." Stoick chuckled lightly but then his expression turned dismal again. "...Hiccup need's constant care until he wakes up. Your healer will be back soon to bandage him up and they'll need changing daily, salve's applied to the wounds to stave off infection at the same time. After what I've just witnessed there's only one person on this Island I trust enough to look after my Son...and that's you"

Camicazi was stunned and honoured both at the same time that Stoick would entrust his sons welfare to her. "I-I'll do it. I'll watch over him and send word to you as soon as he wakes up...I promise"

"Thank you Lass" Stoick smiled in appreciation and then the room fell silent.

After a while Camicazi spoke. "C-Can you give us some time alone please?"

"Of course..." Stoick nodded and stood up. "...Let's go Gobber"

Gobber exited the room first and Stoick followed but just as he was about to leave he heard Camicazi whisper.

"G-God's Hiccup, what were you thinking?"

"He was thinking about you"

Camicazi turned to see Stoick looking right at his son and wearing a proud smile.

"He pushed you out of the way Lass...you wouldn't have survived if he hadn't"

When Stoick left Camicazi snapped her attention back to Hiccup. "Y-you saved me?..." She sobbed, grabbing his face and letting all of her feelings loose. "...why would do this to yourself to save me?..." She cradled his head and brushed his hair back so she could see his face."...Y-You think you're the only one who went to bed at night and wished the other was there in the morning?..." Camicazi's eyelids started to feel heavy as emotional stress and fatigue finally caught up with her. "...I-I need you in my life Hiccup..." Her head slowly bowed and she gripped onto his hand as tight as she could before she drifted off. "...I need you"  
-

Camicazi woke up a split second later, but she wasn't where she was supposed to be. She was stood alone at the end of a pier, the sea before her was calm and an eerie mist surrounded her in all directions.

"May the Valkyries welcome you..."

She looked left to see Gobber rise out of the mist, holding his helmet and staring out to sea with tears streaming down his face. "Gobber?" She asked but he didn't respond.

"...and lead you through Odin's great battlefield..."

She spun and saw Stoick. "Stoick!?..." She approached him slowly but he acted like she wasn't even there. "...Stoick what's going on?" Camicazi looked past the great chief to see hundreds of Viking's standing behind him, all holding bow's with flaming arrow's. There were some faces among them that were familiar, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and...Astrid. Then they all started chanting.

"...MAY THEY SING YOUR NAME WITH LOVE AND FURY! SO THAT WE MAY HEAR IT RISE FROM THE DEPTHS OF VALHALLA! AND KNOW THAT YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AT THE TABLE OF KINGS! FOR A GREAT MAN HAS FALLEN!..."

Gobber approached her and presented a bow which she took, no longer having any control of her body. It was a ceremonial bow, made of mahogany and equipped with a silk and hemp bowstring that stretched between its precisely curved limbs. It was without a doubt, the finest weapon she'd ever held.

"...A DRAGON RIDER..."

Toothless materialised before her, crooning sadly and gesturing behind her. She turned without wanting to, a longship was moored at the end of the pier. Filled with valuable trinket's, weapon's, shields, animal carcasses...and a body, a body covered with white cloth. She stared at it momentarily and all was still around her. Suddenly the cloth was no longer white, four red streak's soaked into it in the same way Hiccups wounds did. "NOOO!" she shrieked at the top of her lung's.

"...AN HEIR..."

She knocked an arrow and set it aflame. "No! Stop it!" She tried to stop herself but it was no use.

"...A SON..."

"Take the shot Lass..." Stoick stood on her left. "...you are the one to send him to Valhalla"

"No! He's not dead Stoick!" She pleaded but he disappeared.

"...A FRIEND..."

"Go ahead squirt..." Astrid stood on her right this time, arms crossed and looking incredibly smug. "...how does it feel? Knowing that you were the one that got him killed?"

"Fuck off bitch! I'm gonna kill you!" But just like Stoick, Astrid disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Camicazi raised the bow and took aim at the longship that now sailed into the distance. "No..." She drew the string back. "...No!..." And loosed it.

The arrow flew straight and true, landing on the deck and setting fire to the bed Hiccup was laying in. The Viking's behind her followed suit, letting loose their arrow's and they rained down on the ship until it was nothing more than a floating bonfire.

"NOOO!" Camicazi screamed as she shot upright, covered in sweat and trembling with fear. "...HICCUP PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"CAMI!?" Ragna shouted as she heard he niece scream and charged towards the healer's hut. Kicking the door open and racing past the two Berkians who were still clambering to their feet. When she entered the recovery room she quickly pulled Camicazi off Hiccup and pulled her into a hug. "Calm down Cami, it's okay..." Ragna soothed, rocking back and forth. "...it was just a nightmare"

"I KILLED HIM!..." Camicazi wailed, holding on to her aunt for dear life as Stoick and Gobber entered the room. "...I lit his pyre ship! I watched him burn!"

Hiccups eyes shot open and he gasped so hard his back arched off the bed. "Ca-Ca-Cami?"

"Hiccup!?" Camicazi pulled out of Ragna's embrace and jumped back into the seat next to Hiccup's bed, leaning over him and cupping his cheek. "You're alive? C-Can you hear me?"

"Y-Y-Yes...where are you?"

Camicazi was confused, his eyes were open but they didn't look right. They were glazed over and his pupils darted in all directions. "I-I'm right here"

"W-Where? I-I can't see you"

Camicazi grabbed his hand and pressed it to her cheek. "I'm here. Look at me Hiccup"

His eye's returned to normal and he smiled. "I've found you. I-I heard you scream...a-are you alright?"

"I am now that you're awake" She sobbed as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Cami?..." Ragna placed her hand on her niece's shoulder. "...he's not awake"

"Yes he is..." Camicazi turned to face her. "...look at him, he's awake"

"C-Cami..." Hiccup turned her head back to face him. "...w-who are you talking to?"

Camicazi's expression fell and she felt a knot in her chest. "R-Ragna...your Dad's here too! And Gobber!"

"Cami, you're the only one he can see so make the most of it, he won't be like this for long. Come and see us once he falls asleep again..." Ragna turned to the two Berkian men. "...Come on, lets give them some space" She led them back into the treatment room and gestured for them to take a seat at a table.

Stoick and Gobber sat next to each other while Ragna sat opposite.

"That's not possible..." Stoick said as he leant forward and held his head in his hands. "...I saw Hillevi sedate him with my own eye's for crying out loud! How the Hel is he talking!"

"It is possible Stoick..." Ragna replied and both Stoick and Gobber looked to her bewildered. She spoke as if what had just happened was completely normal. "...tell me. When Hiccup lost his leg, did he say anything while he was unconscious? Mention any names?"

"Yes. He kept saying my name, his dragon's and his friend's" Stoick answered.

"Alright..." Ragna clasped her hands on the table and made herself comfortable. "...and what about this time? Who's names did he mention?"

"Camicazi's...only Camicazi's" Stoick conceded.

"As I thought" Ragna nodded.

"So want does that mean?" Gobber asked.

"Four gashes that cleaved flesh from bone, broken ribs and a punctured lung. You both know..." She looked between Stoick and Gobber. "...that with those injuries and the amount of blood he lost, he should have died hours ago. Hiccup's body is broken but his mind is still intact. Right now he's wandering the realm between ours and Valhalla...there's no up, down, left, right, forwards or backwards. Only darkness...and he's looking for something"

"Looking for what?"

"He's looking for something to latch on to, something that will carry him from that realm back to ours..." Ragna looked back to the recovery room and smiled gently. "...and for now he's found it, the person he care's about most in this world. But he won't have the strength to hold on this time"

"So what are you saying?..." Stoick questioned. "...That he's in love with her"

"I think that deep down they've both been in love with each other for a very long time. It just hasn't been given the chance to develop. It took days for her to stop talking about him everytime she visited your Island"

"Aye..." Gobber agreed. "...it's no secret back on Berk just how much she means to him either. Anyone so much as mutters a bad word about her and he jumps straight to her defence"

"This is yak dung!..." Stoick snapped, rising to his feet and walking to the window. He stared out into the village pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "...they're just good friends that's all"

"God's above Stoick open your eye's!..." Ragna responded as she too rose to her feet and stood next to him. "...Two people, separated for over five years and yet when they're reunited they act as if they were never apart. Yesterday they disappear for hours and when they finally return...knowing they were in trouble, your son took all of the blame when I questioned them. Cami stood up for him in front of the entire village when they laughed at him last night..." Ragna sighed sadly and a tear rolled down her cheek. "...no doubt fueling her mother's anger even further..."

Stoick glanced back to Gobber and they shared a harrowing look, both picking up the sadness in Ragna's voice.

"...Believe me Stoick, some of the things Bertha says to that girl...you wouldn't say to the shit stuck to your boot after you'd trodden in it" Ragna quickly wiped away her tear and returned to the table.

Stoick did the same, this time alot more willing to hear what she had to say.

"And then there's today..." Ragna continued, starting to feel a little angry that Stoick still didn't look convinced. "...Hiccup pushes her out of the way and takes a blow that would have killed her...that should have killed him! Cami turn's up here when she's in no condition to do so, just to see whether he's alright! How did she react when she saw him Stoick?!"

"She threw up, broke down and then asked us to leave" Stoick mumbled, starting to connect the dot's and realising that what Ragna said made some sense.

Ragna calmed down when she saw the look of realisation on his face and smiled before continuing. "And then she has a nightmare about him dying and screams his name...he wakes up even though he's sedated and she's the only person he can see. You call that friendship? I call it love..." Ragna still saw some doubt in Stoick's eyes so she stood up again. "...Come. Both of you..." She led them back to the curtain but didn't let them pass beyond it. "...Listen"

Stoick and Gobber stood still and then heard Camicazi's voice, it sounded happy and sad both at the same time.

"D-Do you really think so?"

Stoick pushed the curtain aside quietly and he was shocked at what he saw. Camicazi was in Hiccup's bed, curled up next to him with her head resting on his uninjured shoulder. Hiccup had his arm around her and his hand on her hip.

"O-Of c-course..." Hiccup's voice was raspy and breathless. "...you're s-so beautiful Cami..." He pulled her closer so their forehead's met. "...e-everything about you is b-beautiful..."

Camicazi felt a shiver run down her spine as his hand travelled upwards, caressing her side and arm before it reached her hair and he ran his fingers through it again.

"...I-I love your wild h-hair. And h-how it catches the t-twigs when we fly"

"Y-you do? I told you to remind me to tie it back" Camicazi giggled, not knowing if she should laugh or cry. Never in her life had she felt so appreciated than in this moment.

"I-I love that about y-you too"

"W-What?" She sniffed, her tears resurfacing as his words began to tear down the already crumbling walls she'd built to contain her feelings for him.

"T-The way your nose s-scrunches up when y-you laugh..." He smiled at her gently when he saw she was crying. "...The way tour bottom lip quivers when you're upset...but most of all..."

Camicazi noticed he was trying to push himself up and panicked. "Hiccup don't..." She rolled on top of him and pinned him down, careful not to touch any of his wound's. "...Hiccup please stay down. You'll hurt yourself"

"I-I don't care..." He raised his hand and pressed it back where she had held it...against her heart. "...m-most of all, I-I love y-you"

Camicazi's world seemed to stand still when he said that. Even though he was on the brink of death, his words carried so much honesty that she believed him...but she had to ask just to make sure. "D-Do you mean it?"

Her question was answered when he snaked his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her so close they're lips ghosted each others.

"I-I mean it" Hiccup closed the distance, they're lips locking and they both descended into a state of euphoria.

Camicazi pulled away briefly to take a breath before diving in again eagerly. She groaned with pleasure as she felt his hand grip her hip and his tongue meet hers, battling against it with equal ferocity. Hiccup tried to roll her over and as much as she wanted him to do so, she had to keep him still so pinned him down.

"J-Just like t-training..." Hiccup grinned into the kiss and pulled her closer, planting a trail of soft, loving kisses along her cheek.

"O-Oh God's!" Camicazi gasped as he settled on her neck, gently sucking away at her tender flesh. Her pleasure was halted abruptly though when he let go and his head fell back into his pillow. "H-Hiccup...please don't stop"

"N-Never trust you're opponent..." Hiccup started to pant heavily. "...th-th-they'll do a-anything to w-win!"

"H-Hiccup wait!"

"I-I'll find y-you...again"

Camicazi watched in horror as his voice got quieter and his eyes glazed over again. "B-But you already have me! P-Please don't go!"

"M-My Valkyrie" was the last thing Hiccup could say before his eye's fluttered shut.

"No...no Hiccup please..." Camicazi begged and she burst into tears again. "...y-you can't say all of those things! Kiss me like...like that! And then leave me!" She collapsed back down beside him, once again resting her head on his shoulder and holding his hand on her hip. "...please wake up"

Stoick watched Camicazi fall asleep beside his son and closed the curtain, feeling a little bad about eavesdropping on the pair but he had to know. In truth what he saw made perfect sense...but there was something he needed clearing up first. He pinned Ragna with a death glare and squared up to her. "Was that my son? Or just a drugged up version of himself?"

"That was him Stoick...one hundred percent" Ragna confirmed.

Stoick sighed heavily and shook his head. "And what about what he said? What he did? Was that all him as well?"

"Aye"

"Then we have a problem" Stoick stated, folding his arm's and casting a quick glance between Ragna and Gobber.

"What is it Chief?" Gobber asked, too happy for his apprentice to see the bigger picture.

"Bertha" Stoick and Ragna replied in unison.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - The letter

A/N: Hey everyone. I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter. Work always picks up this time of year and I've had to put in alot of extra shifts which hasn't given me alot of time to work on this.

As I've promised before this story will not be abandoned.

atw213 has kindly offered to proof read my chapters before I post them to the site which is greatly appreciated.

Anyways. Here is chapter 16. As always I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.

Mike  
-

Stoick stood at the helm of his longship with a heavy heart, staring at the growing speck on the horizon that was his Island. On the fifth night of their return voyage the storm that Bucket had predicted in the council meeting hit them hard, bringing with it gale force winds, pelting rain and massive swell's. He and his crew fought valiantly to keep the ship from capsizing, but unfortunately two sailors lost their lives...swept off the deck and into the darkness, never to be seen again.

"Odin give me strength" He prayed solemnly while folding his arms. With all the trial's and tribulations that came with being Chief, explaining to someone's family that their beloved had been claimed by the sea was the worst. Without a body there could be no funeral, no choice whether it should be cremated or inhumed. No way of sending them off with their possession's.

"Stoick?" Gobber asked as he arrived on deck. As good as Stoick was at hiding his emotions, Gobber could tell how much his good friend was suffering so proceeded with caution.

"Yes Gobber" Stoick replied hoarsely, turning to face the old blacksmith.

"I was just wondering what the plan was?"

"I'll need to gather the Council. News of what happened to Hiccup will spread through the archipelago like wildfire, I'd rather they hear the truth and not tainted rumors"

"Aye, that's probably for the best..." Gobber nodded and his gaze fell to the scroll tucked behind Stoick's belt. "...and what about Hiccup's letter, are you going to give it to her?"

"Of course I am!..." Stoick barked as the strain of the past fortnight's event's began to reach the surface. He managed to calm himself down though when he realized that everyone on the deck of the ship had turned their attention to him. "...Of course I am..." He repeated in a softer tone and his men went back to work. "...It's what Hiccup would have wanted"  
-

Meanwhile Astrid and the rest of the teen's were at the Academy and saddling up their dragons for a morning of Island defence drill's. Completely oblivious that they were being watched from afar by someone with evil intent.

The tension within the group was high, a noticeable rift had formed between Astrid and the other's since Hiccup had left.

After her public humiliation at the dock's she'd locked herself in her room for three day's, unable to face the ignorance or disapproving look's from her people. Ruffnut had eventually managed to coax her out, but immediately she'd noticed a change in her best friend. The usual sparkle in Astrid's eye's was no longer there, they were cold and showed no emotion. Her already volatile temper had developed a very short fuse, especially when it came to dragon training. Constantly snapping at her friend's without good reason and very critical of their performance.

Ruffnut tried to stick by her best friend as much as she could, even though she too had been on the receiving end of Astrid's chastisement's a couple of time's. Outside of training the boy's opted to distance themselves from Astrid, no longer willing to be around her unless they had to. So Ruffnut took it upon herself to be the one to try and bring the group back together and hoped that this morning would be a step in the right direction.

"Alright everyone listen up!" Astrid shouted to get their attention and walked up to a board with a map of Berk nailed to it. "Today we're going to practice defending an attack from the south side of the Island. Last night I set up target's here, here and here..." She explained pointing to different spots. "...We'll approach in a 'V' formation from the west and -" She hesitated when she looked towards the group and noticed she was missing a member.

"Come on Hookfang..." Snotlout grunted as his dragon stood as tall as possible, refusing to let him fasten the saddle's final buckle. "...the sooner we get this done the better. I can't take any of her shit today"

"You need a hand Snotlout?..." Astrid asked, rubbing her hands together apprehensively as she approached. On her way to the Academy Ruffnut had taken her aside and begged that she would at least try to stay calm, especially with Snotlout. So this time instead of getting angry with him, she tried to approach the situation diplomatically.

Snotlout looked to her over his shoulder, slightly surprised that she was being so nice but it was too late for that in his mind. "No thanks..." He snapped and then jumped up, trying to grab the saddle but failing. "...you go back to explaining your impossibly hard exercise that we'll all fail miserably. Me and Hookfang will be there in a minute"

"Look, I know you don't like me very much at the moment but this is important. Hiccup and Toothless were the most powerful weapon's in our arsenal, without them Berk's defence is compromised"

"And who's fault is that, huh?" Snotlout spat as he jumped again.

Fishlegs and the Twins gasped collectively. Between them they had agreed never to bring that up, knowing that Astrid would likely go ballistic if they did. And judging by the way her posture went from being relaxed to completely stiff, they knew she was about to do just that.

"What did you just say?" Astrid hissed as she stormed towards him, diplomacy no longer an option as her blood started to boil.

"You heard me!..." Snotlout snarled, spinning around and closing the distance between them. "...If it wasn't for you and your big mouth, we wouldn't be in this situation! Hiccup and Toothless would probably be back in a few week's, but now we have to wait six -"

THWACK!

Astrid finished his sentence with a devastating right hook that sent him crashing to the floor like a ton of bricks.

Ruffnut saw Astrid cock her fist to deliver another blow and acted quickly, rushing forward and putting herself between the pair. "Guys, please stop this! We all miss Hiccup alright but what's done is done!"

"Yeah, so are we..." Snotlout spluttered, pushing himself up so he was kneeling. He looked up to his Monstrous Nightmare and nodded resolutely. "...Lets get out of here Hookie"

Ruffnut knew exactly what was about to happen. The last time she had spoken to him he wasn't himself, he seemed depressed and even admitted that Astrid's constant belittlement was making him consider his future as a Dragon Rider. "Snotlout please don't do this..." She begged, wrapping an arm around him and lifting him to his feet. "...We need you. Remember what Hiccup used to say, we're a team and we each have an important role to play"

"We spoke about this Ruff. We're not a team, not anymore..." He muttered while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He pulled out of her grasp and raised his hand at Hookfang who finally lowered his head. "...It's true what she said yesterday. Hookfang hasn't been wanting to train since Toothless left anyway, you'd be better off without us"

"Snotlout wait!" Fishlegs pleaded as his friend fastened the final buckle and mounted his dragon.

"Snotlout is Outlout!" He stated and Hookfang flapped his mighty wing's before they took off at full speed.

As they did Meatlug caught a whiff of something. The downdraft Hookfang had created filled her nostril's with a scent that was familiar, a combination of acrid sweat, wrought iron and dragon fire. Not only was the scent familiar but it meant danger so she looked to it's source. A thicket overlooking the Academy rustled suddenly and Meatlug's eye's narrowed into slit's. She shot out a lava blast that hit it's mark, but when the smoke cleared there was nothing there.

"You see Astrid..." Fishlegs said while pointing to Meatlug as she started to freak out. "...Snotlout has a point. All of the dragons have been acting weird since they left, Toothless was their friend and leader just like Hiccup was to us"

"Our dragon's broken too..." Tuffnut said woefully and cast a sad glance to his sister. "...Barf and Belch won't blow stuff up anymore"

"Or play bash the Nutt" Ruffnut added.

"G-Guys I'm sorry..." Astrid miserably replied

Their conversation was interrupted by two blast's from the village's war horn and they looked to each other. Two blast's signalled a friendly vessel approaching the Island and to their knowledge there was only one unaccounted for.

"They're back" The three of them said in unison.  
-

Stoick's longship entered Berk's harbour, sailing between the two giant stone totems that marked it's entrance. Egil and Spitelout were at the docks ready to greet the ship but as soon as it moored, they could tell something wasn't right. The ship was battered, the sail's torn and the crew were silent as they disembarked. It was then they realised that two members were missing. Stoick and Gobber were the last to depart and they approached the glum looking pair.

"What happened Stoick? Where are Lief and Agnar?" Spitelout asked worriedly.

"They're with Rán now" Stoick sighed sadly.

Spitelout and Egil looked down and removed their helmets as a sign of respect. Not only were both sailor's valued members of the tribe, but they had also left behind their wives and children. The thought that their soul's were now in the hands of the sea goddess and her nine daughter's weighed heavily on them both.

Stoick gave them a moment to process what he had just said and then began issuing order's. "Spitelout come with me, Egil I want you to gather the other Council member's. Gobber you find Hiccup's friend's and bring them to the Great Hall. They need to know what happened to him too and I only want to explain it once. I'll meet you all there after I've delivered the bad news to Lief and Agnar's families" He firmly stated and then left for the village with Spitelout.

When he was sure the two brothers were out of earshot Egil approached Gobber. "What happened to Hiccup? Is he alright?" He asked in concern.

"No. But I can't go into any detail, Stoick want's to tell everyone himself..." Gobber replied flatly and hobbled off towards the village, after a few paces though he turned back to Egil. "...Where are the other rider's?"

"Right now they should be at the Aca -" Egil trailed off as something caught his eye. "...Never mind, here they come now" He corrected and pointed to the sky as Astrid, Fishlegs and the Twins landed their dragons before them.

Fishlegs was the first to notice the dismal look on Gobber and Egil's faces. "What happened?" He asked.

"Get your dragon's into the stable, you've all been called to Council..." Gobber instructed and then realised Snotlout was missing. "...Where's Snotlout?"

"We don't know..." Fishlegs sighed and cast a quick glance to Astrid. "...There was a bit of an argument and he disappeared"

"He's at Ravens Point..." Ruffnut admitted sheepishly and her friend's looked to her in confusion.

"How do you know that?" Astrid questioned.

"...When he stormed off yesterday after you said Gustav would be more beneficial to the group than him, I followed. It turn's out he's been spending alot of time up there recently. He told me how you were making him feel, how he was questioning his own ability to be a competent dragon rider. Why do you think I begged you to go easy on him earlier!" She finished sharply and Astrid flinched.

"What in the name of Thor..." Gobber started but then paused. There were more important thing's that had to be discussed. "...You know what never mind, Ruffnut you bring Snotlout back. You three lock your dragons away and meet me outside the Great Hall. I'll explain how Council works then."

All of the teen's nodded, Ruffnut dismounted Barf and headed for the cliff's while the other's directed their dragons towards the stable's.  
-

About an hour later the Council was gathered and they all stood around the Great Halls main hearth. Astrid, Fishlegs and Tuffnut sat at a table close by, united by grief as they listened to Gobber describe the harrowing event's that had taken place on their return voyage.

"I-I didn't know it would be that bad" Bucket sighed and lowered his head once Gobber had finished.

"There, there Bucket..." Mulch soothed, patting his best friend on the back for reassurance. "...It's not your fault"

"Aye..." Spitelout agreed with a nod and Bucket looked up. "...the storm didn't hit Berk, it just passed us by. There's no way you could have predicted just how bad it would be"

Bucket nodded solemnly, he knew the other's were right but that didn't stop him feeling slightly responsible for the men's death's.

The doors to the Great Hall creaked open suddenly and all eye's darted to them. Ruffnut entered first, closely followed by Snotlout who held the door open for his Chief.

As Stoick entered he immediately noticed the segregation between his people, he needed to make it clear that everyone in the room was of equal stature. "Push those tables together..." He coughed while pointing to three of them. "...Grab a chair and then gather round"

"Aye Chief! You heard him!" Gobber encouraged and everyone in the room scrambled into action, carrying out Stoick orders to the letter. When it was done they all took their seat's, Astrid and Snotlout made sure they were sat by their respective father's while the other teen's stuck together.

"Alright..." Stoick grunted as he collapsed into his seat. For a moment he just sat there in silence, holding his head in one hand and massaging his temple.

"What happened to Hiccup Stoick?" Egil asked in a worried tone, catching the attention of the teen's and they all looked to their Chief expectantly.

Stoick let out a heavy sigh and leaned forward so both arm's rested on the table. "The day before we left Bog Burglar Island this 'Shrieker' attacked. From what Bertha told me during the peace negotiation's that morning, Hiccup had deduced that this dragon is a Wind Stalker -"

"A WIND STALKER!..." Fishlegs blurted out, raising his hands to cover his mouth as his excitement took over. It soon drained away though as the eye's of every council member bore into him. "...A-Are you sure?" He whimpered, now a cowering wreck.

"Yes Fishlegs, I'm sure. I think the hurricane that appeared out of nowhere is proof enough..." Stoick dismissed with a roll of his and carried on. "...It was attacking one of their storehouse's and Bertha was furious. I tried to tell her to let Hiccup deal with it but she wouldn't listen. He was nowhere to be found and Bertha gave the order to attack. We had no choice other than to stay behind..." Stoick zoned out momentarily, staring into nothing as he recalled the events that followed.

"Then the hurricane disappeared..." Gobber intervened, he knew how difficult this must be for his friend to explain so he walked around the table and stood by the Chief. He looked to Stoick who smiled in relief and then continued. "...we assumed Bertha and her warriors had driven the Wind Stalker away. But instead one of them came back to us in hysteric's, shouting, screaming that we had to get to the storehouse as quickly as possible...because a Night Fury was guarding Hiccup and Camicazi..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Egil caught the slight twitch from his daughter as Gobber mentioned Camicazi's name.

"...when we arrived Toothless really was defending them, even though his wing was broken. When we were able to calm him down, we saw that both of them were injured. Camicazi had taken a nasty hit to the head and was unconscious. But Hiccup he...he was..." A stray tear rolled down Gobber's cheek as he visualised what had happened to his young apprentice. "...severely wounded"

"H-How severely?" Astrid asked shakily.

"He'll be scarred for life, but he should make a full recovery -"

"I told you this would happen..." Sven interrupted. But instead of blowing his top like last time, he wisely chose to remain calm. "...I warned you that he was reckless. What did he do this time?"

Gobber on the other hand wasn't able to remain calm. "He saved Camicazi's life!..." He countered, once again finding himself defending Hiccup from Sven's insult's. "...If Hiccup hadn't pushed the Lass out of the way she'd be dead. We spoke to their healer before Camicazi came to see him and these were Hillevi's exact words"

"The Boy is a foot taller than her, so imagine his wound's a foot higher. If Camicazi had sustained this injury, there's no way she would have survived. The uppermost claw could have pierced her skull, the next one down...would have taken her eye out along with most of her cheek. The two lower slashes would have been the deadliest..." Gobber sighed while raising his good hand to his neck. "...carotid artery and trachea..." Gobber demonstrated, drawing lines with two fingers across his throat. "...If the strike didn't kill her instantly, she would have drowned in her own blood"

"A fitting death for such a feral beast" Astrid muttered under her breath but everyone heard her.

Egil jumped at her words and glanced at the other's. The council members looked shocked, her friends looked disgusted. But when his gaze came to rest on Stoick he was consumed with worry. "Quiet Astrid" he begged but it was too late.

"I advise you to tread carefully Astrid..." Stoick growled, the rage that laced his voice was so powerful it sent an unnerving shiver down the spine of everyone in the room. He rose to his feet slowly, locking eye's with Astrid as her face paled. "...I will not sit here and listen to you wish death upon the only person on that Island I trust to look after my son!"

"Aye..." Gobber agreed, the angry expression on his face almost matching Stoick's. "...that girl has put her life on hold to watch over him until he wake's up. Show the Lass a bit of respect"

An awkward silence fell on the Great Hall, the only sounds being the crackling coal's of the hearth in the background. After a couple of minutes Stoick and Gobber's rage dissipated and they started to relax.

"Apologies..." Stoick said as returned to his seat. "...what you've just learned is no secret, you can tell who you wish. We just thought it best that you heard the truth. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Can I go and see them?" Fishlegs asked hopefully. Unlike the rest of his friends there was no bad blood between him and Camicazi, they weren't what you would call friend's but they respected each other. Camicazi respected him because he refused to have any part in Hiccup's beating's. And Fishlegs held her in high regard because she had the courage to stand up for him when he didn't.

"I'm sorry Lad. We're still at peace with the Bog Burglars but me and Bertha didn't part way's on the best of terms. After the incident I learned some interesting information. Camicazi's Aunt spoke to three of the warriors Bertha had sent to flank the dragon, they arrived at the scene first and were too captivated by what they were seeing to attack. Hiccup had his back to them, the Wind Stalker was docile and Camicazi was touching it's nose. It was only when Bertha charged that it went berserk and swiped at her"

"The Dragon wasn't being aggressive, it was acting in self defence!..." Fishlegs gasped and raised a hand to his head, not quite believing what he had just heard. "...Camicazi and the Wind Stalker formed a bond, can you imagine what they'd be capable of if Hiccup taught her to ride it!?"

"Yeah, I mean she's terrifying enough as it is, but on the back of a dragon that can create hurricane's..." Snotlout laughed lightheartedly and the mood in the Great Hall lifted slightly. "...Like Hel am I ever crossing her again"

"Hey Ruff?..." Tuffnut sniggered, elbowing his sister as an extremely destructive idea popped into his head. "...Wouldn't it be cool if like, her wind dragon whipped up a hurricane and Barf filled it with gas? Then Belch could set it on fire! It'd be awesome, we could call it the Infernado!" He cried in excitement.

"I hear you Bro" Ruffnut chuckled in agreement and they head-butted each other affectionately.

"All of you shut up!..." Astrid screeched, immediately silencing her friend's. "...You're all talking like she's one of us, but she isn't! As long as I'm breathing, she'll never be one of us!"

"ENOUGH!..." Stoick filling the room with a deadly silence and slamming his fist against the wood so hard it splintered. "...Long story short Fishlegs, you can't go and see them. The only way I could ensure Hiccup's safety was to add an additional term to the peace treaty, that being Camicazi will be the one to watch over him. As you can imagine, Bertha didn't take that very well but I didn't give her much of a choice. She made it clear that no Berkian is to step foot on her Island until the next treaty signing. Camicazi though has vowed to send word as soon as Hiccup wake's up and as soon as I receive it, I'll let you all know" He finished resolutely.

When he received no further questions he spoke again. "Everyone but Astrid can leave..."

Egil's eye's widened and he looked to his daughter, the terror that consumed him was unlike anything he'd ever felt before and he panicked. "Stoick please -"

"NOW!" Stoick bellowed even louder this time and hit the table even harder, this time it almost split in two.

"Good luck child" Egil whispered and kissed his daughter lovingly on the cheek before leaving with everybody else.

"Take a seat Astrid" Stoick ordered once the doors had closed and pointed to the chair next to him.

She complied immediately, gingerly walking to the chair with her head bowed. As she took her seat and looked up to her Chief, she was surprised at what she saw. He looked more defeated than angry and there was some confliction in his eye's. "Sir, if this is about what I said about Camicazi then I'm sorry. It won't happen again"

"You're right, it won't..." Stoick sighed as he poured some water into a mug set it down in front of her. "...this is about alot more than that. But seeing as we're on the subject already, we can start there..." After he'd poured a mug for himself, he leaned back in his chair with crossed arm's and settled in. "...I'm guessing that's why Hiccup didn't want to see you the three days before he left, you found out where he was going and said something bad about her?"

Astrid jumped in shock. "W-Who told you about that?" She squeaked, her voice getting quieter with every word. Egil hadn't held anything back when he reprimanded her for that outburst, stating numerous times that she didn't deserve Hiccup's protection again. But somehow Stoick had found out anyway and she couldn't help thinking that this was it, her last day as a Berkian.

"Don't look so afraid Lass..." Stoick reassured and gave her a pat on the back. "...And no one told me either. As Chief it's my job to know everything that happens on this Island, even the thing's people don't want me to know about. Hiccup wanted to protect you again didn't he?"

Her only response was a curt nod.

"I thought so, that Boy never ceases to amaze me" Stoick smiled, again bursting with pride as his suspicion's were confirmed. Hiccup had clearly grasped the number one rule in being a Chief. 'A Chief protects his own'

"So what's going to happen to me?" Astrid asked nervously. Even though Stoick seemed surprisingly calm given the circumstances, she still feared there would be a punishment of some sort.

"Nothing, I'll respect Hiccup's wishes. I'm even willing to look over what happened at Council because I know that's what he'd want"

"Wow, thank yo -"

"But..." Stoick was quick to interrupt and his voice turned serious. "...Make no mistake Astrid, this is your last chance. If you hurt my son again in any way. You'll be looking for somewhere else to call home, got it?"

"I got it" Astrid confirmed, knowing by the tone of his voice that he was being deadly serious.

"Good. Now that that's over with..." Stoick paused to take a sip from his mug. "...What's going on with the Dragon Rider's? From the way you were seated, it seems to me that you're divided"

"Because we are..." Astrid breathed and held her head in her hand's. "...I don't know how Hiccup stayed so calm with them...They make me so angry" She complained.

"Hm?..." Stoick ran his finger's through his beard thoughtfully. "...And when you get angry, what do they do?"

"They get angry!..." She cried, throwing up her arms in frustration. "...the boy's hardly talk to me, Ruff tries her best but I can tell she's not happy either. Snotlout quit being a Dragon Rider earlier. It's like we're not even friend's anymore"

"Astrid, you're in charge now, they look up to you and you need to lead by example. Did Hiccup ever get angry with them?"

"No" Astrid sighed and shook her head.

"Was he ever critical of their performance?" He pressed.

"Yes, but he...I don't know. He pointed out their mistake's, but was nice about it at the same time" She said and her eye's widened as the realisation hit her. If she was to have any chance of getting the group to work with, instead of against her. She'd need to change her tactic's. The only problem was, she didn't know how. "So what do I do Sir?"

"It's obvious..." Stoick shrugged. "...Think like Hiccup"

"I can't do that..." She groaned in exasperation. "...I don't think anyone can. Hiccup was...he was..."

"Different?" Stoick finished for her.

"I was going to say special..." Astrid smiled as she leaned over her mug and stared into the water. In it's reflection she saw all of the good times they'd shared and her tears began to flow. "...I-I miss him so much"

"Astrid" Stoick tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention and pulled the scroll from his belt. Even after everything that had happened he felt a little bad for her, he knew that what she said in the square was out of fear, what she said about Camicazi was out of jealousy. And rightly so considering what he'd witnessed between her and his son. He had no idea what to say so decided to let Hiccup do the talking. "Here"

"W-What's this?" Astrid sniffed as she took the scroll he had presented to her.

"It's from Hiccup, he wrote that for you after we left. One of the men found it when they were clearing out his cabin"

Astrid suddenly felt afraid, afraid to read what Hiccup had sent her but she had to know. She broke the wax seal, unrolled the parchment and started reading.  
-

Astrid,

I think this is the twentieth time I've tried writing this letter so bare with me.

I'm so sorry for the way I treated you when I left, it was cruel and I shouldn't have embarrassed you in front of everyone like that. I should have told you I didn't love you anymore in private. I was angry, I'm still angry and I apologise in advance if anything I say upset's you.

Love. It's an easy word to say isn't it? I told your Dad I loved you at Ravens Point, and you said you loved me at the dock's. But the more I think about it the more I realise love isn't something you say, you have to feel it too. And I'm sorry to say this but I don't think either of us really felt that way about one an other.

I know this sounds crazy but I'm glad that this has happened, now we can both move on with our lives and try to find that special someone that make's us happy. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm Berk's heir and Dad is eager for me to get married and have children. So when I return in two year's, I'll have either found someone to wed, or Dad will arrange a marriage for me that benefits Berk the most.

Despite everything that's happened between us, I don't want this to be the end of our friendship. We've been through so much and it would be stupid to throw all of that away because of this. I hope that when I return in six month's we can put all of this behind us.

Give my regard's to the other's and your parent's.

Take care Astrid.

Hiccup.

P.S. If you want to reply send me a Terror Mail. Fishlegs should have got that up and running by now.  
-

"H-He's looking for w-wife?..." Astrid whispered shakily as she rolled the parchment back up and rose to her feet. "...t-that was his p-plan the whole t-time"

"Aye" Stoick nodded sadly.

"I-I need t-to go"

"You're dismissed Lass" Stoick confirmed and gestured to the door's. As he watched her walk away he felt a slight pang of guilt in his chest, he'd never seen her look so down before. Her head was bowed, shoulders slumped and she dragged her feet with every step.

Astrid reached the door's and struggled to push them open, feeling like all of her strength had drained away. Once she'd managed it though she was confronted by her father and friend's...Snotlout included but she didn't make eye contact with anyone. She slowly approached her father and forcefully pushed the scroll against his chest. "Why didn't you just tell me?" She breathed and then walked away.

Egil frantically opened the scroll and read it. As he did a cold feeling began to churn in the pit of his stomach. "Astrid wait!" He cried once he'd reached the end, throwing the scroll away before chasing after his daughter.

Ruffnut was quick to pick it up again.

"What does it say?" Fishlegs asked and Ruffnut started to read the letter aloud.

Once she'd finished she looked to the other's who all wore pained expressions. "I've got a bad feeling about this"  
-

Far away on one of Berk's most secluded beaches, a lone Viking trudged towards a stone archway with a ship moored beneath it. As he got closer he found himself confronted by two men pointing spears at his face, they soon lowered them though when they recognised who he was and let him pass.

He walked up the plank onto the deck of the ship and straight to the captain's quarters. The information he'd gathered was surely enough to keep him alive, but he still felt nervous as he entered due to the captain's maniacal tendencies. "Sir. I have good news and bad news" the Viking said.

"What's the bad news?" A sinister voice spoke from the shadow's.

"Hiccup is no longer on the Island, not likely to be back for another six month's"

"And you're sure of this?"

"Yes Sir. I heard it from the other Rider's myself"

"Hmm. And how were you able to get so close to them without being spotted?"

"Whispering Death tunnel's. They haven't filled them all in yet and one lead's straight to the academy. I would have stayed longer to gather more information, but the Gronkle was on to me and I had to leave"

"And what's the good news?"

"The Dragon Rider's are divided, squabbling between themselves. The annoying one who rides the Monstrous Nightmare left the group"

"Excellent..." The hidden figure chuckled wickedly. "...you've done well Savage. Enough to earn your place as my second in command. Now leave while I figure out a plan to draw Hiccup and his Night Fury out from whichever stone they've crawled under"

"Yes Sir..." Savage saluted and quickly left the captain's quarter's.

The figure in the shadow's stood up and stepped into the light, revealing the heavily tattooed face of none other than Dagur the Deranged.

He stalked to the opposite side of the room and to a drawing of a Night Fury that was pinned to the wall. "I will have back what you stole from me..." He hissed and stabbed a knife right between the Night Fury's eye's. "...Brother"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Wake up call.

A/N: Hey everyone :) Again, sorry for the delay with this chapter. I've been trying to work on my grammar, which also means I'm nervous about this one for a number of reasons. The utmost one being that this is my first attempt at writing a truly intimate moment.

I hope you enjoy, and as always. Please let me know what you think.

Mike

"Hiccup..."

That was the word Hiccup heard as he regained consciousness and gasped so hard his back arched off the bed. His eyes flew open painfully, the sleep that cemented them shut ripped out a few eyelashes in the process. Even though the room he was in wasn't very bright, only lit by a couple of candles that were still burning and the soft glow of the moon that seeped between the shutters, he was still dazzled. The pain that gripped his chest was agonising, like someone had bound him in red hot chains that constricted with each breath. His mouth was as dry as the harshest desert, every muscle his body felt stiff, and he could feel a weight pinning down his left arm. As his vision slowly adjusted to the light and started to focus, he tilted his head and couldn't help smiling through the pain when he saw why he couldn't move his arm.

Camicazi was sat at his bedside, slumped forward and fast asleep with her head resting on his forearm. She looked so different without her weapons and armour, anyone that didn't know her might say she looked harmless. One hand gripped his wrist tightly while the other rested in her lap. Her hair was all over the place, frizzy, knotted, tangled and it completely obscured her face. But all of a sudden she spoke again and Hiccups smile fell.

"...y-you can't leave me...Hiccup, p-please don't die." She uttered quietly as her body started to tremble and she began sweating profusely.

"Cami, wake up" Hiccup begged in a raspy voice when he realised she was having a nightmare. When that didn't rouse her, he tried again, this time a little louder and shaking his arm desperately. "Wake up!"

Camicazi's eyes shot open at the sound of his voice and sat up like lightning. She frantically brushed the hair out of her face, and when she saw him looking back at her, those emerald green eyes that had been hidden away for what felt like an eternity, the mixture of emotions that suddenly hit her was too much to handle.

"Cami, come here" Hiccup pleaded as he took her hand. The sight of her breaking down brought tears to his eyes as well, and he forgot about all of the pain as he shuffled over to create space for her.

Camicazi couldn't refuse, countless times she'd wanted to snuggle up against him, to feel safe and secure but didn't want to risk causing him further injury by moving him. But now he'd done that himself and didn't look like he was too uncomfortable, so she carefully climbed into his bed and laid down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder as she battled to regain her composure. "I-I watched you d-die."

"Shhh, It's okay. It was just -" Hiccup's sentence was cut short by a tickle in his throat that caused him to start coughing violently.

Camicazi reacted immediately, her mind was no longer a flurry of different emotions. Right now she only felt one, and that was determined. She carefully placed his uninjured arm across her shoulders and held it in place, forced her other hand beneath him and then helped him sit up. It was an action she'd mastered while looking after him, performing it each time his bandages needed changing and salve's applying to each wound. But this time was different, in good ways and bad. He wasn't unconscious anymore and was moving with what little strength he had which made him feel lighter, but the way he gagged and wretched was making it difficult for her to keep a good hold on him. Thankfully his coughing stopped momentarily, and Camicazi was able to reach for the mug of water that sat on his bedside table. "Here." She said softly as she brought it to his lips and tilted it back as he eagerly gulped away.

"T-Thanks" He spluttered after he'd drained the mug to the last drop.

"Anytime" Camicazi replied with a gentle smile and retook it before placing it back where it was, at the same time she re-lit a few of the candles on the table so there was more light.

When she turned back to face him, Hiccup was able to get a good look at her and to say he was worried would be an understatement. She looked exhausted, bloodshot eyes with puffy, dark circles hanging beneath them, tear-stained cheeks and her skin was white as a sheet. He raised a hand and gently brushed aside her bangs, revealing the almost healed cut on her forehead. "Gods Cami, are you alright?" He wheezed in concern.

"I am now..." Camicazi sighed happily and held his hand to her face, tears resurfacing as her emotions started to get the better of her again. "...There were a couple of times I thought you weren't going to make it."

"Oh please don't cry..." Hiccup whispered as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, the guilty pang he felt in his chest as she fell apart in his arms struck like a sledgehammer. "...Shhh. It's okay. I'm back now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"P-Promise me..." Camicazi sobbed as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. "...P-Promise me that you'll never do this to yourself again. Even if it is to save me."

Hiccup sighed slowly and cast a sad look up to the rafters, he was willing to promise her anything, except that. "No."

"Please!..." She begged desperately, clutching his hand so tight she cut off circulation. "...I-I've been sat here the w-whole time, terrified that every time you took a breath, it would be your last. You scared me to death Hiccup, and I can't go through that again! I just can't!"

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by a pair of curious eyes. They were too lost in discussion to notice the door creak open slightly, or that Ragna was observing from behind it. She'd been woken by his coughing and knew that meant he'd woken up, she wanted to offer her assistance, but as she approached their room and heard their conversation develop, she didn't have the heart to disturb them.

"Cami look at me..." Hiccup asked in a calm tone, but she refused. He let out and pained groan as he raised his right hand and lifted her chin so they were looking each other in the eye. "...I can't promise you that because, well you know why. And I'm sorry if me saying that to you is crossing the line or makes you feel uncomfortable but it's the truth. Regardless of whether you feel the same way or not, that changes nothing for me. As long as I'm here, I will never let anything bad happen to you, if we were ever in that situation again, I'd jump in front of the Wind Stalker in a heartbeat."

Camicazi was speechless as she dissected his words, not only had he more or less admitted that he loved her again, admitted that he'd willingly die to protect her, but he also had some doubt about how she felt about him and decided to make her feelings perfectly clear. "This..." she whispered while moving his hand down from her chin and pressing it against her heart. "...Is yours, Hiccup. I think it always has been. And this..." she continued, craning her neck and slowly inching towards him.

Hiccup mirrored her movement until they were only millimetres apart, his heart pounding so hard it was almost painful. For a couple of seconds, he just savoured her closeness, not wanting to rush things like the last time and let her initiate the kiss at her own pace.

"...t-this is me doing what I've s-secretly been wanting to do ever since you stepped back into my life." Camicazi breathed nervously, even though this wasn't technically their first kiss, the fact that he was now properly awake, and not acting on an impulse triggered by being so close to death, made what they were about to do seem so much scarier. When she finally closed the distance between them and their lips met, her mind swam in delight. All of her senses heightened, amplifying every sensation and she made a mental note of all of them. The slight tickle of his hair as it brushed against her forehead, the scratch of his overgrown stubble against her chin. His scent that filled her nostrils, clean sweat with a hint of salves. The shiver that shot up her spine as his hand immediately dropped to her hip and gripped it tight. She wished this would never end, wanted to stay in this new, perfect world they'd created together for all eternity, but the need for oxygen became too much, and they had to part.

"W-Wow." They panted in unison, both wearing a deep blush.

"That was, erm..." Hiccup trailed off, not able to find the words to appropriately describe what he'd just experienced.

"A-Amazing?" Camicazi finished hopefully.

"Better." He responded with a warm smile.

Relief flooded her as he pulled her closer and rested his head on top of hers, but that feeling quickly drained away as she remembered that what they were doing was strictly forbidden, and the consequences if they ever got caught. For now, they were safe, tucked away on the outskirts of the village where Bertha wouldn't be found dead. But Camicazi knew that now Hiccup was awake, and her agreement with Stoick had been fulfilled, she wouldn't be allowed back here again. While he was unconscious, she had come up with a plan that would hopefully change that, but it was risky and couldn't be executed unless the circumstances were just right. "Hiccup we need to talk about this."

"Yeah, I know..." He replied, gently rubbing her arm up and down. "...But that can wait until morning, right now try to get some rest. You look like you haven't slept for days."

Camicazi's eyes widened in alarm, and the blood in her veins turned to ice as she felt him try to pull her down with him. "No, I don't want to!..." She cried in panic and pushed out of his embrace, over time her nightmares had gotten worse, each one was different, but they all ended with Hiccups death. He'd either be killed brutally before her very eyes while she was powerless to stop it, only able to move after it was done and she was forced to watch the life disappear from his eyes. Or he'd be dead already with her being the one to send him to Valhalla. "...E-Everytime I close my eyes, y-you die. In the worst ways possible and I just...I just can't watch that happen to you again."

"Cami they're just nightmares, they're not real..." He said in a calming tone, the sheer terror that danced within her eyes made his breath catch and a lump formed in his throat. "...L-Look, you watched over me, now let me watch over you. I'll protect you in any way I can. And if that means staying awake so you can get some sleep, then so be it."

Camicazi didn't know what it was, whether it was the genuine concern that laced his voice, the sincerity of his words or just the fact he was there with her, but as she watched him shift back against the wall and open his arm invitingly, all of her worries vanished. "O-Okay..." She sniffed and crawled up beside him, placing her head back on his shoulder and holding his right hand while his left arm wrapped around her. The combination of the relaxing thump of his heartbeat, the steady rise and fall of his chest and his warmth that surrounded her like a protective cocoon, gave her the confidence to close her eyes without fear. "...See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning Cami." He replied quietly and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead as she drifted off. As Hiccup looked up, he spotted Ragna stood at the door and was surprised when all she did was raise a finger to her mouth.

The smile on Ragna's face was one of pure admiration, she was over the moon that her Niece had finally found happiness, and found it with someone as loving and caring as him. Her smile slowly fell though because, at the same time she felt a small amount of sadness, she was in on Camicazi's plan and didn't like it one bit, not only the risks it carried but also the outcome should it succeed. But if she could choose one person on this earth to save her Niece from the terrible things she'd had to suffer her entire life, it would be Hiccup, and she nodded at him in approval before leaving them alone.

As she disappeared and the door creaked shut, Hiccup was bewildered. Not only had they been caught already and lived to tell the tale, but Ragna acted as if she already knew what had been going on between them. He didn't let his thoughts dwell on that for long though and looked down to Camicazi, right now he had more important things to worry about.

What followed next were the longest, most painstaking and heartbreaking hours of Hiccups life. One minute Camicazi would be resting peacefully, the next she'd be crying in her sleep, trembling with fright and breathing erratically. Some of the things she murmured shocked him to the core and would stay with him for the rest of his days.

"Hiccup...behind you...he's got a knife."

"No...please don't kill him...please don't kill him."

"Stay with me Hiccup...stay with me...no...please don't die."

The first time she became restless Hiccups heart split in two, if this is what she was like every night he was comatose, and he had no idea how many nights had passed, he understood why she was afraid to sleep and asked him to promise not to let this happen again. The sorrow he felt brought him to tears as he held her as tight as possible, not caring about how much it hurt as he cradled her and rocked back and forth, whispering comforting words until she settled down again.

"C-Cami I'm not dead...I'm here."

"I'm never going to leave you again...I'll be right here beside you when you wake up."

Mercifully the time between each of Camicazi's nightmares increased as Hiccups soothing assurances finally started paying off, and by the time the silvery light of the moon was replaced by the sun's golden rays, he was relieved that she'd managed to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

"Hey." Hiccup greeted and gave her a little nudge as she began to stir.

"Hey..." Camicazi sighed blissfully as her eyes fluttered open, she looked up at him and the elation she felt as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her softly was indescribable. "...You could really do with a shave."

"And you have morning breath." He countered with a light chuckle followed by a cough.

"Shut up!..." She snapped in mock offence and kneed him in the leg before relaxing back against him. "...You know, I could get used to this."

"Yeah me too." Hiccup nodded in agreement and then the pair fell quiet, making the most of what little time they had to just wallow in each others company.

Camicazi broke the silence a few minutes later. Something had been bugging her, niggling in the back of her mind ever since they'd shared that heated moment at the healers. "Hiccup? Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When you woke up the first time and we... well, you know..."

"Yeah." Hiccup answered, his brow lifting slightly as he wondered where this conversation was going.

"...Where did you learn how to kiss like that? Do what you did to me?" She finished, feeling a little apprehensive about asking.

"I-I didn't learn it anywhere..." Hiccup stammered, his cheeks burning as they turned a couple of shades redder. "...I-I just got lost in the moment and went with it I guess."

"So?..." Camicazi looked up at him perplexed. "...You and Astrid never -"

"HA!..." He blurted out and cut her off, throwing his head back against the wall as he laughed in disbelief. "...Y-You're kidding me right!? I think if Astrid ever every got the impression I was even thinking about doing something like that to her, she'd hack my good leg off and beat me to death with it!"

"But..." Now Camicazi was even more confused, "...I thought you two were together."

Hiccups expression fell slightly and he took a deep breath. "Me and Astrid were never a couple Cami, Hel I don't know what we were. Sure we were close and kissed a couple of times. But only when she wanted to, they were always quick, chaste and each one came with a punch...literally..." He sighed sadly and shook his head as he ticked them off one by one. After their first flight on Toothless, when he woke up after the battle with the Red Death, and after she figured out he'd let Snotlout win Thawfest. "...Our relationship was very one-sided, partly because, deep down I didn't consider myself worthy of her affections. But mainly because I was too afraid of how she'd react if I tried to take things any further. Why do you think it took two years after our first kiss, for me to muster the courage to tell her I wanted to be more than just friends?"

Camicazi was lost for words once again, the depression that laced his voice made her feel sorry for making him have to recount what she knew he was trying to forget. She needed to cheer him up, and when she figured out a way to do just that, a sly smirk crept onto her face, and her mind became awash with wayward thoughts. They were alone, Ragna was likely still asleep, and as far as she was concerned, she and Hiccup had unfinished business.

"So what you're saying..." She declared in a playful tone as she rolled over and knelt above his lap, locking gazes with him and shooting him a challenging look. "...is that Astrid is more intimidating than I am."

"Oh no..." Hiccup chuckled, feeding off her courage as she bit her bottom lip and reached behind her head, pulling her tangled hair aside so it all draped over one shoulder. Having an idea what she wanted, he jerked his knees so she fell forward, forcing her to place a hand either side of his head and use the wall to support herself. "...you are without a doubt, the most terrifying woman I've ever known..." he whispered seductively as his lips grazed her neck. "...but in a good way...of course."

"G-Go on..." Camicazi stuttered. Just the sensation of his hot breath wafting over her skin made her incoherent. "...N-Now you're with me, you don't need to be afraid."

Taking that as his cue, Hiccup commenced laying delicate trails against her flesh. Starting at her collarbone, tasting her warm, sweet skin as he slowly worked his way up. The lustful moan she emitted as he reached the juncture of her neck and jaw, coupled with how she tensed up and her knees dug almost painfully into his sides confused him. He stopped, hovering just millimetres away, inadvertently teasing her as she trembled in anticipation. "Here?"

"Y-Yes..." Camicazi whimpered pathetically, tilting her head and allowing him easier access. "...please."

Hiccup complied immediately and clamped his mouth around it, flicking and swirling his tongue over her pulse. In his mind, he catalogued each and every one of her reactions, fascinated by how he was able to stimulate her like this. And every pleasured groan he was able to elicit, each time she muttered his name and her hands slid down the wall behind them, fuelled the animalistic passion that was beginning to grow inside him.

"Oh, my -" Camicazi panted as he grabbed her waist firmly with both hands, slipped his thumbs beneath the hem of her tunic and began pressing small circles against her skin. That, combined with his relentless yet heavenly assault on her neck triggered a sensation she'd only felt once before, the one that shot through her when he bucked into her before facing the Wind Stalker. A dull ache between her legs, only this time it didn't go away, it throbbed and sent waves of pleasure throughout her entire body. "...H-Hiccup?"

"Hm?" He responded huskily, now working his way along her jawline and towards her lips.

"No, go back!..." She pleaded, stretching out her chin they were out of reach.. "...K-Keep doing what...y-you were doing."

"Yes, ma'am." Hiccup growled and latched on again, relishing the feel of her heartbeat as he pressed his tongue hard against her pulse.

"G-Gods..." Camicazi moaned as she fought for breath, her eyes snapping shut as the pulsing intensified and became more frequent. Each surge sapped her of energy, so much that she was now struggling to support her own weight. That was made even more strenuous when his left hand released her hip and skimmed up her side until it came to rest on the back of her head and he tugged her even closer. "...Hic-Hiccup..." She hissed through gritted teeth, trying to stay as quiet as possible when she felt her core tighten, but to no avail. "...Hiccup!"

Hiccup snapped out of his reverie when she yelled his name. Quickly realising what was happening, though he couldn't quite believe it was, he swiftly left her neck and pressed his lips against hers in an attempt to pacify her scream. Luckily it worked, in more ways than he had hoped. She was voracious, immediately deepening the kiss and probing his mouth, their tongues battling against one and others for dominance.

Camicazi squealed into the kiss as she reached her climax, and Hiccup did his best to catch her when she lost all strength and collapsed against him.

For a minute or so they just held each other, neither of them daring to move as they tried to wrap their heads around what had just happened.

Hiccup was first to speak. "Did...did you just?"

"I-I think so..." Camicazi whispered shakily as her knees gave way and she landed in his lap. But as soon as she did, her eyes widened in shock as she felt something pressing against the inside of her thigh. "...Is that!?" She asked incredulously and hoisted herself back up again.

"Sorry, I can't help it."

"No, it's okay. You don't need to apologise..." She assured while staring down at the bulge in his pants, feeling rather proud that she could arouse him as much as he did her. But at the same time, her mother's words reverberated in her mind and they disheartened her a little. 'ALL MEN ARE THE SAME. DIRTY HEATHENS. ONLY AFTER ONE THING.' Camicazi looked back up at him and sighed heavily. "...Hiccup, I really, really enjoyed what we just did, and believe me I don't regret it. But I'm not ready for that yet."

"Cami..." He responded in a gentle tone and took her hand. "...I don't expect anything from you, especially when it comes to things like that. I won't pressure you into doing anything, and if I do or say anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, just let me know and I'll back off. We'll take this at your pace. Deal?"

"Deal." Camicazi agreed with a nod and then laid back down beside him, her head naturally landing on his shoulder as if that's where it was always meant to be. 'You were so wrong about him Mom' She thought to herself, and then the couple fell silent.

Around half an hour later they were disturbed by the sound of movement coming from the room behind them and a sweet, creamy aroma that filled the air.

"I take it you're hungry?" Camicazi giggled as Hiccup's stomach rumbled.

"Well yeah! I feel like I've not eaten for..." He started but then trailed off. How long had it been since he last ate? "...Cami how long was I out?" He asked, but when her expression suddenly went from amused to crestfallen, he swiftly regretted asking, no longer wanting to know just how long he'd put her through Hel.

"A little over two weeks..." Camicazi replied dejectedly, her gaze dropping to their clasped hands as her mind was flooded with those memories. She was able to push those disturbing thoughts aside quickly though, and a smile returned to her face as she focused on the here and now. "...Come on, Ragna should have breakfast ready soon." She said encouragingly and sat forward.

"Cami wait."

"What is it?" She questioned as he pulled her back down, growing a little concerned by the uncertain look on his face.

"Last night, Ragna was watching us. I don't know how long for but -"

"Ugh!..." Camicazi grunted in frustration and looked over her shoulder. "...Ragna!..." She snarled, and seconds later her Aunt was at the door. "...were you spying on us again!?"

'Again?' Hiccup thought, now more confused than ever. That was until he recalled the words Camicazi had spoken at his first awakening. 'R-Ragna...your Dad's here too! And Gobber!' "Cami. Please tell me we didn't make out in front of Gobber and my Dad."

"That you did Lad..." Ragna grinned, thoroughly enjoying the mortification that crept onto his face. "...You two lovebirds put on quite the show."

"Oh, for the love of Thor." Hiccup sighed in defeat.

"Shut up Ragna!..." Camicazi snapped which caused her Aunt to raise both hands in surrender. "...Hiccup it's fine okay, you don't need to feel embarrassed. Stoick was more concerned with what might happen if my Mom found out, and Gobber was just happy for us."

"Really?"

"Aye Lad..." Ragna confirmed. "...Now, if you can find it within you to divert your attention away from my Neice for a second, there's someone else who's been dying to see you." She chuckled and pushed the door open to it's widest.

"Hey, Bud!" Hiccup greeted when Toothless poked his head into the room, the doorway was too narrow for him to fit through it.

Toothless crooned happily in response but then froze, his eyes opening to their widest as he picked up the pheromones in the air. He pinned the two of them with his gaze, pupils constantly flicking between both of them.

"Hiccup, why is he looking at us like that?"

When Toothless warbled his 'congratulations', Hiccup flushed deeply. "Erm, he knows what we did, or more specifically what you did."

"I'm surprised the whole village doesn't know, you're not exactly quiet Cami." Ragna laughed and then swiftly left them alone when Camicazi's cheeks crimsoned as well.

"Oh no..." Camicazi whined miserably and slapped a hand over her eyes. "...I'll never hear the end of this."

"Hey, it's okay..." Hiccup said in a soothing tone and gently pried her hand off her face. "...I'm here for you remember. Whatever the problem is, no matter how big or small, I'll do whatever I can to help you through it."

"Thank y -" Camicazi started but was interrupted my another loud rumble from Hiccups stomach. "Alright, alright..." She giggled again and just like last night, helped him sit up properly. "...Do you think you can walk on your own?"

"I think that it'd be safer if you helped me." He admitted without hesitation, no longer letting his pride get in the way.

"No problem..." She responded and positioned themselves at the edge of the bed, so their legs hung off it and feet touched the floor. "...Okay on three. One. Two. Three." She counted before lifting him to his feet and slowly walking towards the door.

Toothless backed out of the way as they approached so they could pass, and as soon as they had, he placed his head under his best friend's right hand took some of his weight.

"Thanks, Bud..." Hiccup praised his Dragon and gave him a quick scratch behind the ear. As he was led towards a table in the centre of the spacious room, he noticed that all of his chests, schematics, weapons and riding gear were piled up on one side. "...Is this my hut?"

"Well, where did you think we were genius?..." Camicazi mocked playfully as they reached the table. As soon as they were seated, she shuffled along the bench and up against him, still holding his arm around her. "...Do you honestly think I'd jump on you like that if we were in the middle of the village?"

"Gods let him go Cami..." Ragna laughed as she exited the kitchen area, her interchangeable limb now a tray. "...The young man needs to eat." She stated and set a warm bowl of porridge sprinkled with dried fruit before each of them.

Before Camicazi even had a chance to process what her Aunt had just said, Hiccup tore his arm free and started gobbling down his meal. She cast a surprised glance at Ragna who shared the same expression, in less than a minute he'd almost emptied his bowl, so she swapped his with hers.

When he was finished, completely oblivious that he'd devoured Camicazi's breakfast as well, he turned to thank Ragna for cooking him breakfast but jumped slightly when they were both staring at him with wide eyes. "What?" He shrugged innocently.

"Do you want thirds?" Camicazi asked in astonishment while raising a hand and wiping an oat from the corner of his mouth with her thumb.

"What do you -" It was then Hiccup noticed her bowl was gone, and that there were two empty ones in front of him. "Cami, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry Lad, there's plenty more where that came from." Ragna cut in and collected the bowls before heading back to the kitchen area. She returned mere moments later and once again, placed a serving in front of them both.

This time Hiccup was more well mannered with his eating, actually taking the opportunity to appreciate the taste of each spoonful before swallowing. On a few occasions, he caught Camicazi watching him out of the corner of his eye, but each time he turned to face her she looked away. "What's wrong Cami?" He questioned after the fifth time.

"Nothing's wrong Hiccup, but like I said we need to talk."

"Okay, so let's talk."

Camicazi sighed dismally as she pushed her bowl away and took his hand, their fingers interlocking. "Hiccup, I want this...so, so much. I want us to be together, but you know as well as I do that my Mom will never allow it."

"What if I could change her mind? I was able to convince Dad -"

"You can't!..." Camicazi snapped and looked him dead in the eye. "...No matter what you do, no matter how many Dragons you integrate into this tribe, she will never let this happen."

"Well, I'm still going to try..." Hiccup countered defiantly, pressing her hand against his heart and grimacing as pain shot through his chest. "...I want this too, more than you could ever imagine. I love you Cami, and I will find a way to make this possible, I promise." He vowed and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Alright, do whatever you can..." Camicazi agreed reluctantly. "...But in the meantime, we have to keep this a secret. When we're out in the open, we have to act as if nothings changed, no public displays of affection. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

"You've still got a couple of days before you need to worry about that." Ragna cut in.

"But I thought you had to take us to Mom as soon as he woke up?" Camicazi asked in confusion, a hint of happiness returning to her voice at the same time.

"Aye, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides..." Ragna leant over the table and tilted her Nieces head to the right. "...You're marked..." She then prodded Hiccup's shoulder which almost made him fall backwards. "...You need to regain your strength. And if I'm completely truthful, you both look like crap."

"She has a point..." Hiccup granted, and let go of Camicazi's hand before scratching at his stubble. "...I've always hated the idea of having a beard."

"Washroom's over there..." Ragna continued while pointing to it. "... There's water, furs and a fresh set of clothes ready for you, plus I sharpened a blade so you can shave. When you're done, we'll talk about what's been happening while you were asleep."

"Okay, Thanks. Come on Bud..." He hissed, using the table as leverage and lifting himself up. "...Help me get there."

"You need a hand?" Camicazi asked with worry as he trundled towards the washroom while leaning against his Dragon. She could see he was struggling, his knees were wobbly, and it was evident by the way he carried himself that he was tiring.

"I-I got it..." Hiccup grunted as they reached the door and Toothless nudged it open with his nose. He peered back at Camicazi who looked concerned and locked eyes with her. "...I won't be long."

Ragna waited for the door to close behind him before tapping her Niece on the shoulder. "So, are you going to tell him what you're truly planning?"

"Of course I'm not..." Camicazi whispered and shook her head, ashamed that she was acting behind his back. "...He'd never let me go through with it..."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter.

Nine years ago I lost someone very close to my heart, my Dad. Our relationship wasn't a father, son. We were best friends. He was a massive believer in the Chinese culture (Inc. Dragons) It's ironic he died 08/08/08.

This will be a two part chapter.

Mike

Hiccup stood silently in the washroom, leaning over the water basin and staring into a polished metal mirror that hung above it, even though imperfections on the metal's surface warped his reflection, he could still see the angry gashes carved across his chest. What he'd said to Camicazi last night was no lie, he in no way regretted jumping in front of the Wind Stalker and would happily do it again, she meant the world to him, but that didn't stop him feeling a twinge of hatred towards them.

Shaving and cutting away his bandages had been a challenge, his hand that shook from fatigue caused him to nick himself a couple of times. Trying to get dressed properly had proven impossible, his shoulder was swollen and stiff, restricting movement so he couldn't raise his arm high enough to pull his tunic over his head.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Hiccup are you okay? You've been in there over an hour."

Hiccup sighed dejectedly at the sound of Camicazi's voice, in truth it wasn't his injuries that were troubling him the most. Sure they made him feel useless again, but being alone also gave him the opportunity to really think about what he and Camicazi were getting themselves in to, whether or not they actually stood a chance at having a future together. It didn't take long for him to figure out just how much the odds were stacked against them, and that in turn made him realize he'd made a huge mistake, potentially one that would end their relationship here and now. "I'll be out in a minute." He replied in a somber tone while reaching for a fur and slinging it over his shoulders, holding both ends together below the neck, so it concealed his wounds.

Camicazi backed away when she heard the tap of his prosthetic grow nearer, but when the door opened, and she laid eyes on him, her breath caught. The look on his face was one she'd seen before, his eyes were dark and glazed over, mouth curled into a sad frown, it was the same expression he carried on the beach just before he opened up about what happened between him and Astrid. "Whats wrong?" She asked worriedly, stepping into his personal space and wrapping her arms around his waist.

For a moment Hiccup didn't react to her embrace. Instead, he scanned the living area behind her, his focus drifting between Toothless and Ragna who both looked back at him concerned. "Cami can we talk... privately?"

"S-Sure..." Camicazi answered apprehensively, unnerved by the monotonous tone of his voice. "...Ragna would you mind taking Toothless out for a while? Hiccup and I need some time to ourselves." She asked, looking back at her Aunt.

Ragna detected the minute crack in her Nieces voice and couldn't blame her for her nervousness, Hiccup was nothing but a shadow of his former self. "Of course..." She replied with a nod and then walked up to the Night Fury. "...Come on Boy, let's give these two some privacy."

Toothless didn't budge though when Ragna tried to guide him towards the door. Over the past couple of weeks he and the Bog Burglar Blacksmith had formed a close bond, she would take him out every morning and evening while the most of the village were either still asleep or at the Great Hall so he could stretch his legs. But right now he wasn't interested, he was more preoccupied with the well-being of his best friend. The vibes that radiated from him were ones he hadn't detected since the aftermath of the Great Battle, shame, disgust, and self-hatred, but this time there was something else mixed in there too... fear... and a lot of it. Then he turned his attention to Camicazi, she was fearful as well, but hers was matched equally by confusion.

"It's okay Buddy..." Hiccup said encouragingly, the corner of his mouth rising into a forced smile. "...We'll catch up when you get back."

Toothless crooned sadly in response and approached the young couple, nuzzling his nose between them as a way of showing his support, then curling his tail around the pair and gently bringing them together again before following Ragna out of the house.

"Come on..." Hiccup whispered, pulling out of Camicazi's embrace and attempting to lead her towards the dining table, but he was still unsteady on his feet and stumbled a couple of times, so by the time they arrived, she was carrying him again. "...T-Thanks." He muttered under his breath as she plopped him on the bench and sat so close they were hip to hip.

After a couple of minutes passed and he didn't say a word, Camicazi grew more anxious, taking his hand and holding it firmly under the table. "Hiccup, whats going on?"

"We..." He began but hesitated instantly, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, silently praying to all the gods that this conversation wouldn't end their relationship, or more importantly their friendship. "...we shouldn't have done what we did earlier. I -"

"S-So you regret it?"

Hiccups heart shattered when he saw the panic that danced in her eyes, but as much as he hated seeing her upset, he couldn't sugar coat this and had to be brutally honest. "I do, and I don't."

"Whats that supposed to mean? Will you stop talking in riddles and just tell me whats going on!" Camicazi snapped, a hint of rage lacing her voice as she tore her hand out of his grasp and slid along the bench, so they were a couple of feet apart.

"I don't regret it because... it just felt so right..." He breathed heavily, averting his gaze from her hostile glare and staring at the table. "...Every time we've been together I've felt a connection with you stronger than I have with anyone else. When I was growing up, I put that down to you being my first and only friend, the only person who actually gave a damn about me..." He chuckled darkly as memories of being Hiccup the Useless flashed before him. "...Even after the Red Death, when Dad, my village, and the other Riders acknowledged my existence, not a single day went by without me thinking about you at some point..."

Camicazi's stern expression softened when he said that, the anger that roiled within her was quelled when she realized they had a Hel of a lot more in common than she could ever imagine.

"...I thought I finally knew what happiness was, but nothing I've ever felt before compared to seeing you waiting for me at the docks when I arrived here." Hiccup almost jumped out of his skin when he suddenly felt Camicazi's hand on his shoulder and her presence beside him.

"Alright, enough of the honey... now hit me with the hatchet..."

"I haven't been entirely honest with you about why I left Berk Cami..." He sighed and finally looked her in the eye. "...Dad's ready to hand the Chieftainship of Berk over to me, so when Astrid flipped out in the square, and I canceled the marriage contract he and her father arranged for us, he was quick to point out that I'll need an heir of my own when I take over. He agreed to hold off arranging another contract and let me travel the archipelago spreading Dragon awareness in the hope that I'd find a future bride at the same time..." He paused momentarily, examining her features for anything that would give away how she was taking this news, but her expression was blank, and she didn't even flinch when he placed his hand on top of hers that rested on the table. "...I don't want to marry someone I have no feelings for, just for the sake of politics or having a child I can pass my title down to... I want to marry someone I love."

"Me?..." She squeaked, a painful knot forming in her chest as he dropped yet another emotional bombshell on her. "...Y-You want to marry me?"

"Eventually..." He nodded, flashing her a quick smile before his expression turned sullen. "...But you're a Bog Burglar, I know marriage goes against all your traditions and the dishonor that would befall you if you ever wed... I should have told you about how serious I am about us as soon as I woke up... before we kissed last night and did what we did earlier. I can't be in a secret relationship with you for a year and then just leave and act as if it never happened."

"I don't want that either..." Camicazi whispered loud enough for him to hear, his declaration of commitment to her erasing all remaining shreds of doubt that what she was planning to do wasn't the right thing, reinforcing her will to speak the words circling in her mind ever since he almost killed himself protecting her. "...I'm not a Bog Burglar Hiccup."

"What? I-I don't understand."

"G-Gods, I can't believe I'm about to do this..." She half laughed while wiping away a stray tear and stood up, never letting go of his hand. "...Come with me."

"O-Okay." He answered nervously and followed as she led him back into his room.

"Sit down, like we were last night." She said quietly and gestured to the bed, and he complied immediately.

After he'd shuffled back against the headboard like she'd asked, Hiccup watched her intently as she wandered around the room, first lighting some more candles before propping a chair against the door to keep it shut, then closing and locking the shutters. He could tell by the way she continually wrung out her hands that she was uneasy about something, and that in turn was starting to worry him. "Are you alright?" He asked as she laid beside him again and wrapped half of his fur around her.

Camicazi didn't answer right away. Instead, she took a couple of minutes to allow his warmth to seep into her, and to psych herself up for what she was about to tell him. "I-I don't know how you do it Hiccup..." She spoke softly. "...How you can be so honest, wear your heart on your sleeve like that... even though you knew it could have been the end of us."

"And is it? I mean... is this like our final cuddle or something?"

"You know, for someone so smart, you really can be a Muttonhead at times..." She mocked teasingly and pecked him on the cheek. "...If things were over between us do you honestly think I'd be back in your bed?"

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that..." He smiled and held her a little tighter, as relieved as he was, he could also tell that there was something not quite right about this whole situation. "...But whats this about Cami? You could have said that outside, why did you lock us away in here?"

"Do you remember before training and you asked me if I wanted to talk about what happened between Mom and me, but I wasn't ready?"

"Yeah."

"W-Well, I am now..." Camicazi attempted to state firmly but couldn't stop her voice trembling. She was genuinely panic-stricken at the thought of revealing her deepest, darkest secret so took his hand and held it securely for some extra comfort. 'Here we go.' She thought, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. "...My Mom hates me Hiccup, we haven't seen or spoken to each other since that night. When I woke up after the Wind Stalker attacked us, she wasn't there... The last thing she said to me was, that of all the mistakes she's ever made in her life, giving birth to me is the biggest."

"What!?..." Hiccup gasped so hard he almost choked, his eyes widening as he struggled to fathom what he'd just heard. It was evident that Bertha and Camicazi's relationship was frosty at best, the fact she sailed another Island to get away from her mother and their interaction the day he arrived was proof of that, but there was no way he could have imagined it was that bad. "...W-Why would she say something like that?"

"A number of reasons, the main one being that I remind her of my Dad... countless times she's compared me to him, saying that I'm a disgrace just like he was..."

Something clicked in Hiccup's mind then, in all the years they'd known each other, Camicazi had never mentioned her father.

"...Believe it or not, my Mom wasn't always this bitter..." She croaked, releasing his hand and wiping away the only tear she was willing to shed while talking about 'him'. "...Ragna says that there was a time she used to laugh, smile and enjoy life... Those two were thick as thieves when they were growing up, throughout their teenage years they'd go against my Grandma's orders, take a boat and sail off for weeks at a time... When they were both old enough to drink alcohol, they journeyed to the Northern Markets to sample its luxuries... The first night they were there, Mom met the son of a merchant who was trading goods from the mainland in a tavern, he was tall, dark and handsome, they hit it off straight the way. Mead began to flow, and things between them quickly got intimate. There was something about this man that Ragna didn't like though, she tried to intervene, but Mom wouldn't have any of it."

"She fell for him, didn't she?"

"Head over heels, the three weeks they were there Mom hardly left his side, and when it was time for them to part ways, they agreed to keep in touch and send a letter to each other once a week. But about a month and a half later... everything changed. Mom fell ill with what she thought was a regular stomach bug, but when the healer examined her, it actually turned out she was pregnant with me... S-She was so happy at first..." Camicazi uttered in a thin, shrill voice, her grip on Hiccup's hand naturally tightening. "...I-It wasn't something she wanted to tell him in a letter, so her and Ragna set sail for the Markets again. When they arrived, they found him in the same Tavern, his arms wrapped around another girl. Mom went berserk and dragged the girl out into the street by the hair, kicked her to the ground and beat her to within an inch of her life... Then she turned her attention to my Dad, told him she was carrying me but... H-He laughed in her face, said she was nothing to him but a piece of meat to fuck whenever she was in town, and that he certainly didn't want anything to do with raising a child... Those were the last words he ever spoke."

"Bertha killed him?"

"Split his skull with her war hammer. He's lucky she did too because if she'd let him live, I would've hunted him down and killed him myself by now. Only I'd make sure his death was slow and painful, maybe chain him to a rock off the coast so the gulls could feed on his entrails after he'd starved to death..." She replied in a voice so sinister it made Hiccup jump, but that anger was short lived and quickly turned to sorrow, tears resurfacing as she brought this part of her story to its conclusion. "...A-After that Mom didn't want me anymore, she wanted to remove every trace of that scumbag from her life... Ragna caught her at the healers a couple of days after they returned, brewing a tea infused with abortive herbs... the only reason I came into this world, is because my Aunt was able to convince her n-not to take her hatred out on an unborn child."

Hiccup was inconsolable after hearing that, sobbing uncontrollably and hugging her as tight as possible as the thought of a world without her in it destroyed him. "H-How did you find out?" He asked tremulously,

Camicazi pulled out of his embrace and shook her head subtly, knowing full well that what she was about to say would only upset him even more. "I met you, I lied when I said I didn't remember that day..." She answered honestly, guilt stabbing at her heart when she saw how devastated he looked. "...as you can imagine with what I've just told you, Mom has been drilling it into me that men are obscene, vile creatures that have to be avoided unless absolutely necessary since before I could walk, that they're only after sex and don't deserve anything from us, especially our pity. So as soon as I helped you up and told you to be strong, I realized I'd done a bad thing. I tried to find her, I thought that if I were with her when she discovered what I did, I'd have a better chance at denying it, but I was too late... Snotlout found his Dad first, and he was furious. At first, Mom was praising what I did as she waved me over, prodding Spitelout in his chest and ridiculing his Son for not being able to defend himself. That was until he yelled that I had no right protecting 'Hiccup the Useless' from anyone, especially his Son."

"C-Cami I'm s -"

"Shhh. Don't speak, just listen..." Camicazi hushed him, releasing his hand and pressing a finger against his lips. "...Look, I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but just like the whole marriage thing earlier, I have to be straight with you too... Okay?" After Hiccup nodded in understanding, she lowered her finger and continued. "...I'll never forget the look on my Mom's face after the Jorgensen's left, the shame, and frustration that blazed in her eyes, the harshness of her voice when she shouted, 'You're a disgrace! Get out of my sight Girl!'... So I did, I hid on our ship the rest of our stay and avoided her the entire journey home. When we got back a week later, I was still too upset to go to my house, so I went straight to Ragna and begged for her to let me stay with her... she's the one who first told me about Dad."

"Just like that?..." Hiccup snapped, breaking his vow of silence after less than a minute. He couldn't believe Ragna would be so tactless. "...You were five years old, and she just sits you down and tells you that your father was a womanizing whoreson, your mother killed him and almost aborted you?"

Camicazi beamed at him genuinely, his appalled reaction was touching and once again proved just how much he cared about her. "We're Vikings Hiccup, you know what Ragna's like, she's always straight to the point..." That smile quickly disappeared though as her brief moment of happiness wore off and she huddled closer to him. "...It took four days for Mom to come and collect me. She apologized for what she said, pointed out the error of my ways and made me promise to forget I ever met you."

"A-And did you?"

"I-I tried..." She admitted dolefully, wincing when she felt his grip on her loosen a little."...I tried a lot of things to make her proud of me Hiccup; mastered hand to hand combat and the use of every weapon you could imagine, learned how to sail on my own and won the Regatta three years running. When that didn't make her happy, I vowed to uphold the Bog Burglar name by stealing personal possessions from the archipelago's greatest Chiefs, your Dad's underwear and Mogadon the Meathead's eye patch are still in my trophy cabinet..." She trailed off and cast a sad look up at him, letting out an exasperated breath. "...None of that was good enough for her though, even now, whenever I do the slightest thing wrong, she goes ballistic... swearing at me and calling me the bane of her existence, on a couple of occasions she's raised her hand to strike me but has never actually gone through with it."

"S-So..." He stammered and broke eye contact, his soul almost torn to shreds. "...If meeting me caused you so much pain and suffering, w-why did you come to my rescue the second time you visited Berk?"

"That connection you talked about earlier..." Camicazi smiled, letting go of his hand and resting hers on his cheek, turning his head gently, so he was looking at her again. "...I felt it too. No matter how hard I tried to forget, you were always in the back of my mind, I sought you out that day because I needed to figure out why..." She ran her fingers up and through his hair then, tears of happiness welling in her eyes as she recalled that moment. "...A-All you had to do was look at me Hiccup, and then everything made sense. You looked at me the same way you did when I pulled you out of that puddle, the same way you are now, even after everything I've just told you. You've always seen me for who I really am and never expected me to be anything more, that's one of the things I've always loved about you."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hey everyone. I must apologise for the last chapter being a part one, I wasn't in the right mindset when I posted it and also realised I forgot to add the title. This two-part is called 'Confiding'

I hope you enjoy, and as always, please leave me a review. I would like to know your opinion, whether it's good or bad.

Mike.

Hiccup fell into a stupor at her words, his mouth slightly agape. She hadn't said the three magical words he longed for Astrid to speak, only for her finally do so in an attempt to stop him leaving Berk. But with Camicazi's troubled past, he didn't expect she'd say that for a while and was willing to wait, that being said, the fact that she'd always 'loved', not liked, 'loved' something about him all this time knocked him for six.

"M-Midgard to Hiccup..." Camicazi giggled, snapping her fingers close to his ear to wake him from his trance. She, on the other hand, relished how the word rolled off her tongue, noting especially how his expression gradually turned from one of despair to complete and utter bewilderment when she said it. "...Are you still with me?" Much to her delight, his hold on her tightened, and she was once again staring deeply into his eyes.

"Always."

"I'll hold you to that." She smiled, lowering her head and taking his lips. This kiss felt so different compared to the ones they'd shared before, their first being a rather nervous one and the second full of lust and desire, this one though was something else entirely, and it blew her mind. There was no awkwardness or hesitancy, no tongues or straying hands, it was soft and caring; like they were channelling their innermost feelings into one and other.

They parted a few seconds later, neither of them gasping for air or blushing. For a moment they just stared at each other in silence with tender smiles on their faces.

Camicazi settled back beside him again, only this time she wasn't paying full attention to what she was doing, her mind was too focused on what had just happened to notice where she was about to place her head.

Hiccup flinched as she snuggled against his chest, the pressure aggravating one of his wounds for a split second before she shot back up again.

"Are you alright?" She gasped in panic, absentmindedly reaching for the smaller fur he'd held around his torso this entire time.

"No!..." He cried pathetically, his insecurities kicking in as he batted her hand away and curled in on himself, clutching at the pelt like it was a lifeline. "...I-I don't want you to see them."

To say Camicazi was stunned by his reaction would be an understatement, in the blink of an eye, he had gone from being in a state of complete calm to a stuttering, cowering wreck. Speechless, she watched him back further away into the corner of the room, muttering to himself under his breath, a couple of the words she heard. 'Useless' 'Hideous.' It was then she noticed something about his body language that broke her heart, his left knee bouncing up and down, metal leg tapping against the slats of his bed. The story he told her before training about how useless losing his leg made him feel echoed in her mind, an injury this severe would undoubtedly take him back to that, and it brought a tear to her eye.

"H-Hiccup, you're not hideous okay, I've seen them countless times before, and I don't think any less of you." She said in an attempt to soothe him, but her words fell on deaf ears, if anything they made him recede even further. She recalled his story again then and realised something, he hated the worried remarks and pity when he first lost it, heartfelt reassurances wouldn't work here, so she tried a different approach. "We all have scars Hiccup, if yours make you hideous, then I suppose I am too."

"Y-you're not hideous..." He responded and glanced at her momentarily before looking away. "...y-you're beautiful."

'Breakthrough.' Camicazi thought but fought the grin that threatened to creep onto her lips. "Am I?..." She continued sternly, turning her back on him and flinging her legs over the side of the bed. Reaching behind her head with both hands, she parted her tangled hair down the middle, bringing each half around and letting it hang over her shoulders. "...Lift up my tunic."

"Sorry, what?" He asked in confusion and turned to look at her, astonished to see she'd completely exposed her back to him.

"Just do it Hiccup." She demanded in a serious tone but couldn't help shifting nervously when he sat behind her, a leg on both sides and thighs pressing against her hips.

This should not have felt like an intimate moment, but the way his breath tickled the back of her neck, a part of her body that was so rarely uncovered, sent shivers throughout her body.

"A-are you sure?"

"My pace remember."

With permission granted, Hiccup did as she asked, once again slipping his thumbs beneath the black fabric and ever so slowly lifting it up. As soon as he made contact with her skin though, he felt her jump and stopped immediately. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, your fingers are cold that's all. Keep going." Hiccup continued, and Camicazi cursed inwardly, she knew why he was so slow, that the gentleman within him didn't want to stray too high, but the way his hands caressed her sides made it difficult for her to keep her mind on the real purpose of this.

Hiccup stopped when he reached halfway up, blinking twice when he saw the white, jagged mark which stretched horizontally across her back.

"H-how did this happen?" He sighed, tracing a calloused finger along it.

Camicazi's eyes fluttered shut at his feather-light touch. 'Focus Cami!' She mentally chastised herself to regain her composure. "W-when I was out stealing the Chief's possessions to appease my Mom, I managed to get my hands on Alvin the Treacherous' ship... the one with the massive Dragon skull as its figurehead and blades sticking out of the front..."

"I know the ship, I was a captive on it once."

"...B-by then my reputation as a thief had travelled across the archipelago, so he suspected I was responsible, no one else would dare try it. Like a fool, I sailed the open seas for a while... I was in no hurry to come home. I loved the way merchant ships turned tail as soon as they saw me coming. So by the time I did start the voyage back, he'd already set up an ambush for me in the Straits of Baldur and stole it back. He could have killed me but was so impressed that I managed such a feat, he let me go with this as a reminder never to cross him again..." Camicazi paused for a moment to let that sink in, then continued. "...So what do you think? Ugly? Frightful? Grisly?" She asked, peering back at him over her shoulder with a raised brow.

"No, of course not. B -"

"You see!?..." Camicazi cut him off, turning so she sat sideways between his legs, grabbing hold of his hands and squeezing gently as he tried to pull them away. "...Hiccup, I can't pretend I know how you feel... I wear my battle scars with pride whereas you... I think you hide them because you're afraid that others will judge you and see you as weak..." This time she did let her smile show when he perked up a bit. "...And I don't. I've seen them many times before, and I don't think any less of you."

"You have?" He questioned in a hushed voice.

"Yes. Who do you think changed your bandages? Removed the stitches, cleaned the wounds and applied the ointment?"

"You?"

"Your Dad asked me to watch over you, so I did. Ragna and Hillevi offered to help, but I wanted to be the one to do it... I mean, you got hurt saving my life after all."

Hiccup began to relax, his inner demons vanquished and self-esteem rising. "Okay." He nodded, letting go of her hands and smoothing out her ruffled tunic before letting his arms drop to his sides.

"Thank you..." Camicazi replied and ever so gently parted the pelt like curtains, careful not to remove it too quickly in case any of his blood had coagulated and stuck to the fibres. When it was finally clear, she let it fall off his shoulders and examined the wounds closely, they were healing well, pink scar tissue was starting to form around the edges, and there were no visible signs of infection. She stroked three fingers down his chest, one between each gash. "...Sorry, did that hurt?" She asked as she felt him shudder.

"No..." He replied with a light chuckle while shaking his head. "...You're amazing, you know that right?"

Camicazi didn't answer his question, she knew the stakes, knew the risks. But just like any opponent she'd ever faced, she attacked the situation head-on. "They look fine Hiccup, but we're not done."

"We're not?"

"No, stay here and don't move..." Camicazi said and scooched out of his lap, leaving the bed and walking towards the bedroom door. She removed the chair she'd used to block the entrance and carried it back, setting it down in front of him and taking a seat. She shuffled forwards on it a couple of inches until she was better situated and sighed heavily, flexing the fingers of her right hand in trepidation before placing it on his left knee. "...Now I want you to show me this."

"Absolutely not!" He cried incredulously, jerking his leg back and holding it close to his chest.

"Hiccup, please?"

"Why? W-Why would you want to look at it?" He could barely look at it himself, always turning away and blindly putting on the protective sock made from yak hide and lined with lambs wool whenever he'd finished bathing. The ultimate reminder, of the ultimate sacrifice he'd made for a village that had never once called him one of their own, only starting to after he'd saved all of their lives. In comparison, the hatred he felt towards the scars on his chest was nothing compared to the grotesque mass of flesh that remained of his left leg. It often made him wonder how his life would have turned out if he and Toothless hadn't been caught in the cove by Astrid; if they'd done as he planned, left Berk and the Barbaric Archipelago never to return. He snapped out of his daze swiftly when he felt Camicazi's hand on his cheek, lifting his head, so his eyes met hers, deep as the bluest lagoon. If he had left that day, he wouldn't be where he is now, sat before the one individual that had always been there for him, in person and in spirit, the love of his life.

Camicazi didn't answer his question, he was wearing his thinking face, eyes narrowed and lips pursed, tongue poking out a little. After a couple of seconds, she inwardly sighed with relief, the corner of her mouth quirking up slightly as he relaxed and lowered his leg, that alone was a huge step for him and she couldn't be prouder, but just as she was about to thank him again, he spoke.

"I-I'm not going to look at it."

"Okay." Camicazi agreed with a nod, she fully intended to get him to look at it, accept it, but this wasn't something that could be rushed. 'Baby steps' She thought and slowly reached down with her right hand, placing it on the back of his prosthetic just above the metal and lifting his leg gently. She stood up for a moment and with her free hand, turned her chair, so it was sideways and against the bed, then sitting down again and resting his leg on her lap. With one final glance up at him and receiving a minute bow of approval, she proceeded. First, untying the knot of rope securing the fake leg to the real one. Once that was withdrawn and set aside, she removed the prosthetic without much hesitation, she knew from when Hiccup dried his stump after running The Gauntlet he wore a sock beneath it.

Hiccup had turned his head away and clamped his eyes shut as soon as she started on the rope, focusing his mind on anything but what was happening right now, but hearing that familiar 'pop' and relief of pressure from his stump snapped him back to reality, and his mind became a whirlwind of questions. 'Gods, hiccup why are you doing this?' Why does she want to look at it?' Why am I letting her look at it? she'll just leave me.' 'Who would want to be with a disfigured cripple anyway?' His trail of thoughts was shattered though as he felt her hand grip his tight, very tight.

"I-I'm not going to leave you Hiccup..."

He snapped his attention back to her in shock. She kept a straight face, but Hiccup couldn't help notice the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Did I say that out loud?"

"..And you're not a disfigured cripple." She continued, answering his question.

"Y-You might not think that way after you see it."

"Hiccup..." Camicazi sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. "...I'm doing this because I need you to know that I don't just love 'things' about you. Sure you're smart, funny, loyal and have ambitions. But you're also the only person who can make me laugh so hard I snort like a pig, the only friend I've ever had. The only one who has ever shown me what it feels like to be truly appreciated, cared about and loved..." Her tears flowed freely now, and voice softened. "...Do you think I asked my Mom's permission to sail to Berk and see you after I heard you lost your leg? Do you think I thought twice about crossing her again, standing up for you at the Great Hall when everyone else laughed? Left my house in the dead of night to..." She looked him dead in the eye. "...I love you Hiccup."

"Y-You do?"

"All of you..." She replied with a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand tighter, her free hand lowering and landing on his stump.

He jumped at the contact. Even though Camicazi's touch was shielded by a layer of yak hide and lambswool, he still started shaking like a leaf.

Camicazi felt this but there was a silver lining, he was still looking at her and hadn't pulled away. "...You hate this... But it's a part of you Hiccup, and you need to accept that... I have..." Taking a gamble, she slipped her fingers beneath the fabric of his pants, slowly searching for the top of his sock so she could ease it off, only when her digits reached their destination, her heart skipped a beat. Instead of feeling smooth or even hairy skin at the hem, mounds that felt like veins pressed against her fingertips. "...H-How high do they go?"

"A-A little way above the k-knee..." Hiccup replied quietly. "...Gothi only removed what she needed to... the parts that couldn't be s-saved."

Camicazi released his hand, needing both for her next task.

Inch by inch, she rolled his trouser leg up, eyes fixated on the intricately webbed burn marks that snaked up his leg, resembling flames. She wasn't prepared for this, her scars were singular, isolated, easily hidden...


	20. Chapter 20

A/N +: ...Well... that was embarrassing... Sorry for messing up the upload guys! Here is how it was supposed to go.

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm super sorry for the delay in bringing out this chapter. I know it's been, two... three months!? WTF Mike! Get your shit together!

When Camicazi first laid eyes on what remained of Hiccup's leg, she physically jumped in horror. Her left arm went limp and dropped to her side, discarding his sock on the floor while her other hand raised to her mouth, fingers shaking.

It really was a shocking image. Pink markings slithered down from just above Hiccup's knee, becoming darker and more concentrated the further down they went, all weaving together to develop a shiny, bulbous mass where his leg ended. A deep crevice that resembled a pair of lips smiling back at her wickedly stretched across the small length of his shin that had survived, the visible result of a healer having to pull a flap of unscathed skin over his injury and using it to cover the wound. Above that... only the outside half of his calf remained, the rest of it gone and replaced by a craterous scar, its edges meandering around and in between the still working muscles that shook beneath his natural skin.

She had seen first hand the effect Dragonfire had on the human body many times before, back in a time when the ungodly beasts descended from the heavens and rained fire on her village... but not to this extent. A wave of nausea washed over her suddenly, and she clamped her eyes shut, fighting back the bile that caught in her throat as she imagined one of Berk's healers snipping away the charred tendrils that 'couldn't' be saved.

"I-It's alright..."

Hiccup's voice was subdued and tremulous, but it snapped Camicazi out of her trance like a war horn blaring in her ears. She licked her lips and swallowed thickly, before looking up at him through her tousled bangs. He looked petrified, staring back at her with eyes dancing with different emotions, back arched forward and both hands clamped over the edge of his bed frame so tight she could have sworn she heard the wood splinter.

"...I feel that way when I look at it too."

A cold shiver ran down Camicazi's spine as the nervous tone of his voice turned into one of malice and fury, and she quickly realised that this was way too much for him to handle at the moment. She swiftly grabbed his sock off the floor and gently put it back on, letting out a sigh of relief when his posture immediately relaxed. But then she felt a horrible churn of guilt in her gut and slapped herself mentally. Of course, it was too soon to try an attempt such a massive step after he'd only just sustained another grievous injury. "Hiccup! I'm so sorry, I didn't think! I was just trying to..."

With his stump covered and protected from the early morning chill, the red mist that clouded Hiccups mind, along with the pounding of his heart in his ears started to dissipate. "...I thought I was doing the right thing! I'm so sorry!" Camicazi's frantic apologising brought him crashing back to earth with a thud, and when he realised she was on the verge of tears, he reached out and gently took one of her flailing wrists.

She immediately froze and raised her head to look at him again, and when he followed up by placing a caring hand on her cheek, she melted on the inside and sighed. He looked like his usual self again. "I'm sorry, I should have known it was too soon."

Hiccup smiled at her warmly and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead before lifting his leg off her lap and pulling her into a hug which she instantly returned. "Don't apologise, Cami..." He whispered, rubbing her back up and down. "...It's not your fault I'm so messed up."

"You're not messed up..." She muttered into his shoulder and then chuckled. "...Not as far as this is concerned anyway."

They stayed in that embrace for a few minutes before parting. Camicazi left the bed and handed back his prosthetic which he promptly re-attached and then sat back down next to him. After a couple of seconds of wringing her hands anxiously, not sure whether she should continue on the subject or not, she wrapped her arm around his waist and spoke softly. "Would you at least talk about it? Get some of what you're bottling up into the open? I think it will do you good."

Hiccup thought about what she'd asked, and it didn't take him long to come up with an answer. When it came to Camicazi, he really didn't have anything left to lose. He'd already told her how he felt when he first lost his leg, and nothing could be worse than what he'd just experienced. He let out a short laugh and looked down at her, her eyes were practically gleaming with hope. "Sure."

Camicazi beamed at him proudly and then looked down at his hand. She took it started brushing her thumb over his knuckles as a form of comfort. "Does it hurt?" Was the first question to come to mind.

"Most of the time..."

Her eyes widened at that answer, but he kept a calm tone, so she let him continue without interruption.

"...It's worst in winter, the cold sets in and makes the stump ache, that's why I was limping during The Gauntlet..." Hiccup felt her tense and held her a little tighter. "...it's not your fault..." He said soothingly and rubbed her arm up and down. "...Summers no not so bad unless we have fire weather, the skin goes dry and chafes, and sweating just makes it more irritating. And then there's the phantom pain..."

"Phantom pain? Whats that?" Camicazi cut him off a little confused. She'd never heard Ragna speak of that before.

"...It's difficult to explain..." He replied and gave his head a scratch. "...Gobber says his went away after a year or so, but I still get it now and again. Apparently, it occurs when your brain thinks the missing limb is still there even when it's not, but the pain is real. Sometimes I feel burning, other times it itches or feels like someones squeezing it really hard."

"That doesn't make any sense..." Camicazi shook her head in confusion. "...So even though your leg is gone, you can still feel it?"

"Yep, I don't really understand it either."

"Okay, so how long does it last?"

"It used to be for hours, days even..." He shrugged and grimaced at the memories. "...but now it lasts a couple of minutes at most, so I'm hoping it'll wear off soon."

"Me too..." Camicazi yawned and moved her hand from his waist up and into his hair, entangling her fingers. She had more questions, but after everything they'd both been through emotionally that morning, decided they could wait for another time. "...you know, I'm really proud of you..." He turned to face her, and she could tell he was about to say something, so she released his hand and press a finger to his lips. "...and just for the record, what I've seen today doesn't change the way I feel about you. I still love you... and one day, if all goes well, I will marry you." He smiled and kissed her finger, but that wasn't enough for her.

Hiccup yelped as she yanked his head forward and their lips crashed together. The surprise was quickly washed away though when he felt her tongue graze his teeth begging for access, and he happily obliged. Camicazi allowed him to push her onto her back, but just as euphoria was about to overwhelm her, a thought popped into her head, and she pushed him away just enough that they parted. "B-But..." She panted as she fought for breath, and when he groaned like a child who'd had his favourite toy taken away, a grin split her face. She quickly composed herself though, and her expression turned serious. "...if I ever hear you call yourself, useless, disfigured, a cripple or anything like that again, I'll punch you so hard you're ancestors will feel it..."

"Yes, ma'am." Hiccup growled in response and tried to dive in again, but she still held him back.

"...A-And stop calling me ma'am, it makes me feel like an old lady."

"Got it, babe."

Camicazi smirked wickedly. "Better." Her brace against him slackened, but just as their lips were about to meet again, they both shot up as the sound of the front door crashing open reverberated through the hut and shook the walls, closely followed by the crooning of a certain Night Fury.

"Aww, Bud..." Hiccup complained, rolling off Camicazi as Toothless poked his head through the bedroom door. "...you have the worst timing... ever!" He flung his uninjured arm in the air for emphasis.

"I can see that..." Ragna was stood in the doorway now, arms crossed and brow raised. "...I take it the two of you managed to work things out?"

"We were working things out..." Camicazi rolled her eyes and sat up, shooting both her aunt and the Dragon a glare. "...until we were so rudely interrupted! Give us five more minutes."

Toothless just let out an annoyed snort in response, his best friend and future 'mate' had spent too much time together. Now it was his turn for some attention.

"It's okay, Cami..." Hiccup assured and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"...Toothless needs some loving too, and we still have two days to make up for it."

"Talk about killing the mood though." She pouted and crossed her arms.

"Urgh... you two lovebirds make me wanna hurl!..." Ragna cut in which earned her a scowl from both teens, but she held her ground. "...come on. The sooner Hiccup gets updated on whats been going on while he was out and catches up with Toothless, the sooner you can get back to whatever it was you were up to."

When Ragna finally left, Hiccup grabbed a fur and wrapped it around his shoulders. He pushed himself to his feet and wobbled a little bit, but when he was balanced, he carefully made his way over to Toothless with Camicazi sticking close just in case his legs gave out. They approached the door and just like last time, Toothless backed out of the way to let them through but kept his slightly annoyed expression. "Aww, whats wrong? Are you pouting big baby boo?..." He cooed and turned to look at Camicazi. "...can you give us a minute?"

"Sure." She nodded back and began walking towards the dining table where Ragna was sitting, but after just a few steps and hearing Hiccup mumble, she looked over her shoulder at the two best friends. Toothless was already curled up with his back against the wall, and Hiccup lowered himself somewhat awkwardly, so he was resting against his Dragons side. "I'm sorry I was away for so long, buddy." She heard him speak, and then Toothless plopped his head lazily on Hiccups lap, crooning happily as he received a scratch behind the ears. Eventually, she managed to tear her gaze away from them and continued onwards, letting out a content breath as she sat opposite her aunt.

Ragna stared at Camicazi with a raised brow, noting the way her niece focused on her hands that rested on the table as she rocked back and forth. The smile that that was permanently plastered on her face, only to break into a full grin every once in a while, and when that happened she'd stick out her tongue a little and bite it so the smile would subside. After a few minutes, Ragna rolled her eyes knowingly and leaned forward, placing her good hand on Camicazi's shoulder.

Camicazi jumped at the contact and looked up. "What?" She asked innocently, pushing aside her daydream and shrugging her aunt off.

"What happened while I was gone?..." Ragna gestured at Hiccup with her chin. "...everything was so tense before we left. The last thing I expected to find when we got back, was you two all over each other again."

"We spoke about a lot of things..." Camicazi took a moment to collect her thoughts, bowing her head and picking some of the dirt from under her fingernails. "...important things." She shrugged.

"Such as?" Ragna pressed.

Camicazi looked back at Hiccup and blushed before turning and facing her aunt again, she gestured Ragna over with her fingers, and she leaned forward, so they were practically ear to ear. "Well first off... he asked me to marry him -"

Ragna's eyes widened. "He what!?" She blurted out, but Camicazi was quick to slap a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh."

The two of them stayed quiet for a moment, hoping they hadn't drawn the attention of Hiccup and Toothless. When the only sound they heard was Hiccup's murmuring and Toothless' warbling, they both relaxed.

Camicazi shot a death glare at Ragna until she nodded at her silent threat, and then removed her hand. "He didn't pull out a bag of gold and offer to buy me if that's what you're thinking..." Ragnas expression incredibly smug, but Camicazi continued with a huff, keeping her voice low. "...Look, the long and short of it is, I said yes. He... he loves me... like really, really loves me, and I love him. It wasn't an official proposal, no contract, no mundr, just a promise between us that it'll happen... someday."

Rahna smiled at that, reclining in her seat and making herself comfortable. She loved how her niece's cheeks went from rosy to beet red while speaking that last statement. "Someday, huh?"

"Yes, someday!..." Camicazi hissed, her face burned so hot she felt like it would melt off. "...not tomorrow, six months or even two years from now... but someday..." She brought both hands up to her face, pressing her palms into her eye sockets to hide her embarrassment... or tears. "...Hiccup's on his own mission..." She sniffed. "...he's supposed to help us with the Wind Stalker, teach us how to live with Dragons and then just... move on to the next tribe... all the while looking for a future wife..."

"And he decided to lay all his cards on the table right away, instead of stringing you along?" Ragna interjected, throwing a prideful look at Hiccup over Camicazi's shoulder, but he and his Dragon were now fast asleep.

"He did..." Camicazi nodded, feeling her blush subside. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and let out a small laugh. "...he was so honest with me, so I was honest with him. I told him everything about Mom and Dad, including how you intervened."

Ragnas features dropped, and she gazed at her niece apologetically. "How'd he take it?"

"Not well... he listened mostly, then got mad when I told him how I found out..." She shot Ragna a knowing look, and then grinned devilishly. "...I think he might have some choice words for you."

Ragna chuckled and shook her head, casting her mind back to that first-night Hiccup arrived on Bog Island and stood up to Bertha in the Great Hall like they were equals. "Well, I guess I should brace myself for them then, Odin knows that boy can put someone in their place when his heart is in it."

"Yeah, he -"

"Argh!... Really bud!?..." Camicazi and Ragna snapped their attention towards the sudden commotion that erupted behind them, and they both slapped hands over their mouths in an attempt stop their guffaws. Hiccup was trying his best to push Toothless' snout away, but it was already too late. His hair was already slicked up on one side, Night Fury saliva dripping down his cheek and off his chin. "...Toothless, stop!" Toothless burped in Hiccups face, and he grimaced, the scent of day-old fish filled his nostrils and mouth, almost making him gag.

"Alright, that's enough you two!..." Camicazi laughed and then stood up, she strutted over to the now bickering pair and took Hiccup by the elbow, lifting him up and pulling him away from the onslaught Dragon kisses he was receiving. "...Come on babe, we need to talk."

"Yeah..." Hiccup grumbled, wiping his face clean with half the fur draped over his shoulders. "...thanks for the save."

Toothless let out an annoyed bark, but when Camicazi shot him a playful scowl, he admitted defeat and curled up into a ball, feigning sleep.

"I see I have some competition..." She sniggered as they sat down on the bench, her hand instinctively reached for his and their fingers entwined. "...I guess I should get used to the idea of sharing you, huh?"

"Ah, he's not usually this needy. He can't fly yet, his wings still a bit stiff, but once he's back in the air again and we've done a few laps around the island, all of that sloppiness will be washed right out of his system."

"I hope so, Dragon drool doesn't suit you."

"Ahem." Ragna coughed, making both teens jump and gaining their attention.

"Oh, right..." Hiccup spluttered, it didn't take him long to regain his composure though as he remembered exactly why he was here. "...has the Wind Stalker attacked again?"

"Surprisingly not..." Ragna answered quickly, though the tone of her voice was laced with confusion. "...it used to attack at least once a week, always targeting a different storehouse. But ever since you and Cami confronted it, it hasn't been seen near the village."

"Is it still on the island?"

"There have been a few sightings..." Camicazi continued. "...mainly in the swamps to the west."

"Why would it do that, Hiccup? Suddenly change its behaviour even though it swatted the three of you out of the sky like flies?..." Hiccup didn't answer right away, the look on his face was one of pure concentration, and Ragna could swear she could hear the gears churning in his head. "...Hiccup?"

"I think..." He swallowed thickly and glanced at both women. "...I think she feels bad about attacking us, that's why she's staying away."

"'She' feels bad?"

"Yes, the Wind Stalker is a girl..." Hiccup shrugged as if the fact he could figure out a Dragons gender just by looking at it was no feat at all. "...Also, do you remember what I told you before we took that flight on Toothless? Dragons have emotions, just like you and me. Before the Wind Stalker lashed out at us, you and her formed a bond... a friendship. How would you feel if you almost killed a friend?..." He let that statement hang in the air for a second, noting the way both their faces warped from utter bewilderment to a sort of understanding. "...We need to get out into the swamps, track her down and then you can train her."

"Me?" Camicazi gasped incredulously.

"Yes, you. Like I said the bond between you is already there..."


End file.
